It has been called "The icon within an icon". Not bad for a French chef who started his apprenticeship at a small restaurant in St Germain called "Aux Charpentiers" whose sister fish restaurant "L'Ecaille de PCB" was one of my "canteens" when living in Paris. PCB stands for Pierre and Colette Bardeche, the owners.
I never had steaks and fish cooked with such perfection anywhere else at the time.
BTW, Pierre et Colette still run Aux Charpentiers...
Mind you, Guillaume Brahimi went from there to La Tour d'Argent and Joel Robuchon: one could find worse training grounds... And it shows!
See below some of the goodies we enjoyed from the Degustation Menu. We were so enthralled by the celebrations and the food that we missed photographing some of the dishes...

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AMUSE BOUCHE: AN INVENTIVE WAY TO PREPARE ONE TINY SYDNEY ROCK OYSTER...

It takes a lot to make me like an oyster with any preparation, and this one rocks...

LES HAUTES CANCES CAIRANNE 2011 FOR ALL THE FISHY COURSES...

YELLOWFIN TUNA, BASIL INFUSED, SOY AND MUSTARD SEED VINAIGRETTE

simple, sashimi like, completely relying on the produce's quality

ROYALE OF GLOBE ARTICHOKE, MUD CRAB, BARIGOULE VINAIGRETTE

Nicely presented, an interesting twist on the classic Bordeaux dish: Artichauts à la Barigoule, one of my signature dishes...

SCALLOPS, LEMON EMULSION, WATERCRESS VELOUTE, STERLING CAVIAR

All the way from Rottnest Island in WA, worth the trip, simply spectacular!

JOHN DORY (FILET DE ST PIERRE), CARROT & GINGER PUREE, CORIANDER, POMMES ALLUMETTES

The pommes alumettes are far too thin to be called "Pommes Allumettes", but perfectly suited to a degustation menu. The fish was cooked to perfection, moist inside, roasted outside...reminiscent of L'Ecaille de PCB". Photo courtesy of Oysters & Oxtail.

ARE YOU STILL HUNGRY?
HERE COMES THE MEAT AND THE RED WINE:
​LE CLOS DES CAZAUX, LA TOUR SARRAZINE - GIGONDAS 2007

GRIMAUD DUCK, SWEET POTATO & FOIE GRAS PUREE, FIGS, RADDICHIO, RADISH, BALSAMIC JUS

Grimaud is the French leader of duck breeding. They have had an association with Pepe Ducks in Sydney for many years. Although I usually like my duck slightly rare, this was undercooked to my taste and as a result, the texture of the meat was a tad rubbery...

DEBONED RIB EYE OF TAJIMA WAGYU BEEF, SHIMEJI MUSHROOMS, BABY SPINACH, SHALLOT, MERLOT SAUCE

Perfect! How can you cook this little shallot so well???

AND NOW THE DESSERTS:  FRESH RASPBERRIES, PISTACHIO GATEAUX, VANILLA CREAM CRÈME BRÛLÉE, RASPBERRY SORBET

Symphony of explosive flavours in a dark plate

VALRHONA CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ, VANILLA BEAN AND CHERRY RIPPLE ICE CREAM

AND HERE IS THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!

It was a very enjoyable evening, with courteous and attentive service in a grand decor to suit this grand occasion. The food was beyond reproach, the portions of perfect size for quite a long degustation menu with two explosive desserts to crown a perfect celebration. My daughter's 23rd birthday is round the corner; maybe we will try the new Guillaume in Paddington. Stay tuned!
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GUILLAUME HAS NOW REOPENED AT 92 HARGRAVE STREET  -  PADDINGTON 

The wait is over! Guillaume Brahimi's new restaurant in Paddington is opening this week. Here is a sneak peak into his new "Guillaume", courtesy of the Australian Gourmet Traveller. Can't wait to go!

WATCH THE VIDEO

Guillaume Brahimi in his new restaurant in Paddington - courtesy of SMH

If you can't make it, you can always buy Guillaume Brahimi's book!

UPDATE JUNE 2017

hGuillaume Brahimi closed "Guillaume" in Paddington on December 2016. Like many other fine dining restaurants in Sydney, including Rockpool, Eleven Bridge, Sepia to name a few, it seems that Sydneysiders don't see th value of such establishments and prefer a more casual approach. As a result, Guillaume Brahimi has opened another Bistro Guillaume in Sydney CBD, after the sustained success of his Perth and Melbourne siblings.
​I have recently dined ther, so stay tuned for a review!