Goodbye charcuterie, hello Asian flavours at Bar H

The first time I had dinner at Bar H, I pretty much fell in love with the place. I thought it was perfect. It may well have been a combination of the food, booze and company but I remember being completely and utterly content with the world - which is all too rare a state.

So I was a little surprised when I learnt of Bar H's change in tack earlier this year; that despite the awesome reviews, they were turning to the Asian flavours chef and owner Hamish Ingham cultivated at Billy Kwong. Goodbye, gorgeous charcuterie.

Crispy pork wontons with sweet chilli sauce at Bar H, Campbell Street, Surry Hills

The drowned my temporary distress in happy hour cocktails at Bar H as I dug out a voucher for a shared banquet with a glass of wine each on a drizzly night. Given Ingham's calibre, I had no worries about the quality of the food to come, but just had to stop myself from making comparisons to 'last time'.

Seats looking out to Campbell Street helped change the scenery, as did the crispy wontons, folded classically like tortellini and served with a house sweet chilli dipping sauce. Somewhat chunky fillings differentiated these from the average wonton, and I can definitely imagine a bowl of these going down nicely with beers as bar food.

Cucumber and black fungi salad

The pickled cucumber salad starter seemed  fairly classic Chinese, with the addition of black fungi and a restrained addition of chilli. I've always been a fan of pickles and it's great to see them on more and more restaurant menus.

Calamari salad with radish, herbs, black fungi and mushrooms

There was a choice of two entrees as part of the voucher deal but our waiter claims the calamari dish as his absolute favourite, and I can totally understand why after just one bite of the squid.

It's ridiculously tender in an exquisite just-cooked fashion, and is dressed in a well rounded, tart dressing that's also complementary to the mushrooms (enoki and another I forget) and more black fungi. With mint and thin slices of radish tossed through, this stunning dish showed how Ingham has an amazing handle on salads that allows each individual ingredient to shine.

Braised beef short rib with black bean and chilli

With a choice of two mains, the continuing rain made it all too easy to choose the braised beef short rib. When the generous sized dish arrived, I was a little worried that I was only armed with chopsticks to attack the big chunks of beef.

But served without the bone, I needn't have worried. I probably could have eaten the big chunks with a teaspoon, they were so fall-apart tender. The flavours of sweet dark soy and salt-rich black beans played equally strong parts, accompanied with lots of steamed rice.

The lettuce beneath soaked up a lot of the saucy flavour, while coriander was just the thing to lift the thick richness of the braise.

Roasted kumera with pickled leaves

As a side, the roasted whole sweet potato in its skin was topped with more pickles and from memory, a lot of white pepper, with the sweet, mushy orange flesh perfectly comforting.

Kumquat sorbet

Dessert wasn't part of the voucher deal, but we found space for the Asian-inspired sweets. A choice of house made sorbets each had an Asian feature ingredient.

It was the first I'd ever heard of a kumquat sorbet, so it had to be that. And it was kumquat in a true form; sweetened but with that definitive bitterness of the little citrus fruits. The quenelle of sorbet was served on a slippery black tile, with fine chocolate shavings all over.

Sticky rice and red bean donuts with anise ice cream

More substantial were the glutinous rice "donuts" filled with sweetened red bean paste; a take on Chinese jin deui. I adored the anise flavoured ice cream they were served with while the donuts themselves were a little heavy and rich with oil, but a fun, creative approach to traditional Chinese.

Looking back at the warm yellow hues of the cosy restaurant, I think the ambience and design of the resturant are definitely one of my favoured aspects. But even without charcuterie and cheese plates this time, Bar H has impressed again, especially the salads. So it's a happy hello to the Asian flavours - hope you're here to stay.

Bar H for hooray

Quiet corner location - check. Stylish yet unobtrusive interiors - check. Loads of friendly, welcoming staff - check. Gorgeous, fresh food - check. Huge wine list - check. Hooray, Bar H is new and fabulous in Surry Hills and so right just now.

Located on the corner of Campbell and Foster Streets (across from Cafe Ish and closer to Elizabeth Street than Crown Street), Bar H is part wine bar, part restaurant and all very casual, yet classy and welcoming simultaneously, with ex Billy Kwong head chef Hamish Ingham at the helm.

Bar H, Campbell Street, Surry Hills

On our downhill trek of Campbell Street, Bar H's warm lights and immediate charm were like a beacon to our hungry tummies and parched throats. There's a huge, long window of the open kitchen that opens out onto the footpath, and I see Hamish and team ready for the night's service.

Quinta de la Rosa, tonic and lemon (left) and Campari and blood orange juice (right)

Greeted at the door, we're led to a table for four directly opposite the tiny kitchen, with prime position on the comfy banquette. We order drinks first as we await the arrival of the other two of our four, and note minimalism in the way of mixed drinks on the menu. Wines, on the other hand, dominate the two A4 pages with local and international picks of not shocking prices.

Campari and fresh blood orange juice is a failsafe drink to start, the bitterness apparently stimulates the appetite. The juice was both sweet and refreshing, but for something different I chose the Quinta de la Rosa, a white port, with tonic and fresh lemon. It was surprisingly bitter too, lessened by squeezing the lemon quarters for some added sweetness and tang.

Warm olives with chilli

The menu at Bar H is superbly flexible, with little appetisers to nibble, more substantial charcuterie offerings, then salads and mains - with nothing too onerous for the small stove and prep area.

We have warm olives with chilli as we wait; big, green ones that taste like they've been picked not so long ago with red chillis that have more kick than their size would suggest, but never too much.

As we pit our way through the small bowl, surrounding tables virtually demonstrate Bar H's versatility: some snacking with beers at the bar while watching kitchen action; couples devouring cured meats with wine looking out to the quiet street; a bunch of guys making a meal of the menu's mains in a corner table; and a family in for the whole sharing experience. We were up for light eats pre further drinking.

Kitchen charcuterie plate

Our full table arrives to the decision that a French red would suit the evening; something I forget from the Côtes du Rhône that I wish I hadn't. Medium-bodied, fruity and very drinkable, even in stemless wine glasses of which I still have reservations about.

Our kitchen charcuterie plate arrives not long after, having seen meats sliced moments earlier at the slicer by the window. And what fabulous meats indeed: San Daniele prosciutto, jamon serrano and bresaola, the latter of which was sensationally tasty wrapped around especially long grissini sticks.

Tiny cornichons, mustard fruit and unexpected carrot ribbons completed the dish which I'd be happy to have every dinner time, or indeed before any meal.

Chicken liver pate, foie gras shavings, pickled cherries and sourdough bread

The chicken liver pate was promised with foie gras shavings, pickled cherries and sourdough bread, for what sounded a delightful spread.

The pate was stronger in flavour and not as smooth as I'm used to (the non-pate lover here), but nicely distracted by the crusty, grill-marked bread and sweet, soft cherries mixed with onion. The bit of foie gras I tasted was creamy and rich, much as expected but still putting a smile on my face.

Seared cuttlefish, pancetta, broad beans and watercress

Our next selections from the salad section were highly anticipated, for me especially the cuttlefish as I don't think it's a common menu item despite its similarity to squid. In fact I find it superior, and in this case, tenderly grilled for moments and needing no seasoning other than its partners of the salty crisps of pancetta and just cooked broad beans in the jungle of watercress.

Raw zucchini, asparagus, mint and soft boiled egg

I didn't actually know that zucchinis, or courgettes as one at the table put it, could be eaten raw - but what a discovery. Green ones shaved into ribbons and yellow ones sliced into thin rounds on this plate were velvety soft and a good sponge for other flavours.

Asparagus spears were also shaved while the two parts of the soft boiled eggs gave it an air of breakfast; a delicious salad-y one, that is; freshened up with whole mint leaves.

Strawberries, Woodside goat's curd, aged balsamic vinegar and basil

Done with the light eats, I was satisfied enough to bypass desserts although that clearly wasn't the plan for others. The strawberry dessert was the simplest and lightest offering of three, with gorgeously ripe strawberry halves drizzled in an aged balsamic that was almost caramelly, and then sprinkled with micro basil to finish.

The goat's curd was incredibly light, maybe even aerated, and matched extremely well with the strawberries, as if the contrasting flavours made the berries taste even sweeter. The micro basil was too cute though it reminded me of some seedlings I'd grown and subsequently killed.

Gorgonzola dolce

Cheese time was ever so gratifying with my first ever taste of gorgonzola dolce. A soft blue cheese without a particularly strong smell or taste that's usually distinctive of blue cheeses. And, as the name might imply, there was a sweetness to the cheese that was definitely not a salty blue.

Served with dried muscatels and figs, wedges of Granny Smith apple and a pile of crisp breads, it was the perfect way to end the meal and that delectable bottle of red.

At this point in the night, he kitchen was done and dusted, beers in hand signalling the end of another night. We'd been seated for hours and it was by far one of the most enjoyable nights out I'd had in a while.

Given Bar H is lumped into the new casual dining category that's popping up, I'd happily call it my new favourite so far. I think food is more substantial than that at Berta, while the atmosphere beats that at District Dining.

I think the freshness of the food and simple handling at Bar H is a real standout. I adore its versatility and will be looking to try out a brunch outing next. Hip, hip, hooray for Bar H.