1001 Dinners 1001 Nights

La Notte (Carlton) 12/09

2009-12-11T10:28:00.005+11:00

At 140 Lygon Street this restaurant is surrounded by competitors. On a Thursday night they were well patronized with the front section fully occupied. The place has a formless architectural design, split level, some sections separated by wide brick arches. The rear of the restaurant seems to be set up for large parties. Toilet doors, with colourful lead glass panels, seem to have come from old train carriages - all quite odd.There is a bottle shop on the right and a bar in front as you enter. Tables are set with attractive black on white table cloths but they offer paper serviettes. There is an extensive a la carte menu of largely Italian cuisine with prices for mains around $30 for most dishes. There is also a movable blackboard with a list of specials.
Oysters at just over $2 ea, in a variety of presentations, are especially inexpensive. The exception is the sea food platter at $80 for two with an extra $50 if you want lobster. Internet reviews were mixed but there was one particularly complimentary about the platter. Not surprisingly that is what we chose. It comes on a very large square platter
with a side dish of mussels
in a mild chilli tomato and pepper sauce and a separate dish for the lobster which is offered grilled, Newberg or mournay which we selected.
The platter is packed with oysters, plain and Kilpatrick, bugs, crab, and soft shell crabs, fish, calamari and prawns, both peeled and unpeeled, with plenty of lemon scafes and tartar sauce for which we had to ask. This was served with bread or chips ($6). Finger bowls came soon as did extra serviettes. A bottle of Riesling
on ice and glasses filled the good sized table. They have a very good arrangement for wine. Step over to the bottle shop, select your wine, sometimes you can taste it before purchase, and have it served at the bottle shop price. Some things about this meal were outstanding. The calamari were the most delicate and tender that I can ever remember. The soft shell crab had retained a fantastic sweetness that is invariably lost when they are presented deep fried, the lobster was nicely prepared, not over cooked, and retained a very good flavour and texture in the rich sauce. Although I enjoyed the dish the mussels were in a dominating sauce and were very small but that is probably a seasonal problem. I'm sure all the ingredients were extremely fresh but the rest suffered severely from being too well cooked, overcooked really. I think the worst thing you can do to sea food is over cook it. Nothing is more easily lost than those delicate tastes. There is a selection of cakes and pastries which were very good, both the tiramasu and the cheese cake were big serves and good choices. So close to being very good.
Score: 13.25/20

Chatter 26 Journalists and chefs 12/09

2009-12-05T23:14:00.004+11:00

Two months ago I wrote a piece about journalists and bloggers (Chatter 25) which touched on several issues discussed in an article by Stephen Downes in Meanjin Quarterly (Vol 68 No.4) Downes wrote about the relationship between food journalists and restaurant reviewers in relation to restaurant owners and chefs.
He begins by making the rather dubious point that journalists are trusted. At least where food and fashion are concerned it rings true but surveys of respect in the community do not rate them highly.
He then goes on to some analysis, using Hellenic Republic and George Colambaris' rise to celebrity status as an example, of both journalists influence and of the nature of reviews. He quotes from a typical review which he describes as sounding more like a "media release" than a restaurant review, totally lacking in critical content. A point with which I fully agree. He proposes the reasons for this are that "it is easier to gush than to criticize", secondly writers who enthuse are more attractive to big publishers and editors than real critics and thirdly, a point to which he devotes a lot of consideration, is the relationship between food writers and the people they are supposed to be independently assessing.
I believe Downes is spot on when he looks at these relationships and the effect they have on reviewers. Finally he suggests a code of ethics for Australia's restaurant critics and food journalists.
How right he is. It is impossible not to be influenced by special attention, freebies and social recognition by celebrities. Journalist have an absolute duty to their readers to acknowledge any matter which could be construed as influencing their opinions. Recognized medical authorities when offering scientifically backed information in their field acknowledge backing from interested parties, described as competing interests. Food journalism, which is quite subjective needs these standards more than ever.
Mr Downes 20/20 for subject matter.

Competing interests: My wife and I have occasionally been the recipients of meals and other gratuities from restaurants and chefs. When ever we review a restaurant where that has been the case we note it early in the review. We have no relationship of any kind with Mr Downes but I do have a link to his blog, which he rarely updates and I rarely look at it! I also wrote a piec comparing Larissa Dubecki's writing and reviewing style to that of Stephen Downes earlier this year.

Botticelli (Brighton) 12/09

2009-12-05T14:28:00.008+11:00

On the recommendation of a friend of a friend we tried this suburban restaurant at 40A Church St. in the heartland of the Brighton set. It was an interesting experience which we are not likely to repeat.
Seating about 60, spilling out onto the footpath, the linen and butcher paper covered tables, decorated with a red rose and a scrappy candle,
were nearly all occupied by 7.00 pm and quite a few were refilled as they became free. One thing for sure they're certainly popular.
There is a fairly extensive menu with antipasti, pasta, which may be an entree or a main, risotto, veal, fish and steak with a large blackboard of specials.
We started with baked avocado and prawn with mournay ($15)
which was distinguished by great lumps of avocado, small prawns and a good covering of mournay sauce - gross but quite tasty. A linguini marinara in an oil base, ($25) which we took as a main and shared, had an insubstantial amount of sea food and swam in a watery soup. The mussels were tiny as were two pipis and two scallops and prawns small, not much more than shrimps. With less water and more sea food it could have been quite nice but it was insubstantial as a main course. Grilled flounder ($31) was very meaty, served with not very crisp chips and steamed vegetables cut in what I might best describe as domestic peasant style, a farmers meal. A medium rare rack of four very nice and tender lamb chops ($31)was well done resting on a substantial bed of a mixture of, I think pea and broccoli, surrounded by a small lake of gravy and covered with a herb crust. This came with a days worth of calories in the form of roast potatoes. Stuffed with food, and without great expectations, we forewent the desserts. Although fully licensed, wit a modest but reasonable wine list, they offer a very reasonable corkage of only $5 and I noticed many customers had taken advantage of that. I was not very surprised, when I asked our waitress if she knew who Botticelli was, to hear that she'd never heard of him! You can get a lot to eat here. Meals are not particularly expensive. They are presented with no finesse or aesthetic sensibility. A place to eat and leave rather than dwell over a meal for the evening.
Sandra was considerably more scathing about the food here. She found the baked avocado dish lacked taste and the linguini marinara failed, being in a soup rather than a sauce. It is also uncomfortable and noisy.
The question this now poses is, where do Melbourne's discriminating public go for a good casual meal?
Score 12.25/20

JacquesReymond (Prahran) 11/90

2009-12-04T17:57:00.011+11:00

Cooking for a renowned international organization of food lovers is an opportunity for chefs to shine but Jaques Reymond did himself few favours when he put on an expensive but undistinguished X’mas dinner for the the Chaine des Rotisseurs last week. Wines were organized by the wine master with the help of Michael McNamara, one of the principles of Princes Wine store, one of Melbourne leading cellars.
Unfortunately Jacques would not permit a tasting session with his food so it was surprising that the matches were as good as they were.

The guests were greeted on arrival with 1996 Duval Leroy Champagne, one of the great vintages in recent years, and quite excellent gougeres, a house speciality. The first course, a millefeuille of lightly smoked ocean trout, fresh wasabi, spiced nougatine, citrus and avocado salad
was served with a 2007 Nicholas Potel Rully Blanc. This was a reasonable match for this starter of mixed tastes. The trout was extremely delicate and it seemed we were in for an excellent meal. The next course was most disappointing. Described as deep sea rockling spiked with anchovies, crispy lacquered pork belly and Savoy cabbage, sourness of sorrel and sour cream, served with a 2007 Milton Clos de St.Anne Chardonnay this soggy cabbage with a piece of near tasteless fish was not improved by the conglomeration of accompanying tastes. Next came some relief with a dashi and apple jelly with cauliflower foam and tobiko mountain bush pepper yoghurt tempura and fennel simply king fish sashimi which was and enhanced by the delicate very fresh and regrettably very small slice of fish. The foam lacked taste and detracted from this course. The next course was an extraordinary mixture of things which absolutely failed. It was made up of a number of ill matched ingredients each alone may have been alright, except for the risotto which had none of the creamy character and texture that makes a good risotto so special.
It was made up of marinated and glazed quail, snail risotto, aged comte and grilled sausage senses of garlic, shallots and parsley. Three major ingredients I hope to never see on the same plate again. The 2008 Marchand and Burch Mt. Marrow pinot noir was the outstanding wine on the night.
Angus beef a la ficelle, natural cooking juice, soft potato aioli, the last main course, served with a 2006 Chateau St. Dominique St. Emillion.
This was quite nice, tender and juicy, made rather special with a mustard ice cream. A roasted peach and almond frangipanne , tonka bean and vanilla bean ice cream completed the meal
served with a dessert wine- a 2007 Pierre Bise Coteau de Lyon Beaulieu Rouannieres .

Attractive petit fours were served
with a remarkably tasteless coffee. This was a meal full of surprises but most of them were not pleasing. Strangely Jaques was very secretive about his recipes acting as though they were state secrets. He refused a request for the recipe for his mustard ice cream and was outraged that guests might dare ask for the secrets of his kitchen.
He seemed unaware that there are plenty of recipes available on the internet. Sandra was so incensed by his attitude she expressed a desire never to return!

JacquesReymond earned its chefs hats for excellence in classical French cooking. It’s what they do well and they should stick to that.

Score:13.75 /20

Kenzan (Melbourne) 09

2009-12-02T22:01:00.003+11:00

Nestled in the middle of a standard Paris end office building is Kenzan; established, unobtrusive and perhaps a venue frequently overlooked by most passers-by as too expensive compared to the food court it shoulders or incompatible for their rushed lunch hour trade or too close to commercial based home to bother a dinner venture. Wrong.

Kenzan has been at 55 Collins for a long time and has grown with the scores of workers, Sofitel guests and random blow-ins that surround it. Whilst still aspiring to be of fine dining status – Kenzan works to appease the lunchtime worker and Kino cinema crowd with a traditional sushi bar style dining area; with morsels cut to order, and also an impressively fast lunch style menu which in my mind can only be the penultimate middle ground of an uncompromisingly tasty meal met with equal office style timing constraints. Though the fast but very gratifying lunch was sampled this visit, previous occasions have found an interesting dinner menu including dishes and delicacies still rare to the Melbourne palette.

Due to the surprise nature of this visit I was not adequately armed so a phone-camera had to suffice, and suffice it failed, dismally.

The mixed tempura main with miso and rice ($18) was second only to the gods of Tempura Hajime with flavoursome and nearly blot paper-free delivery of hot and tasty morsel.
The lunch special (one of several mixed options); bento style delivering ($35) of Shitake mushroom salad, prawn and crab Japanese dumpling (though steamed, unlike gyoza), crumbed prawn and scallop with ponzu sauce, salmon & tuna sashimi and chicken teryiaki and rice was exceptional. Each dish delivered a distinct strong positive too long to juxtapose that will be remembered long after any criticism. Basically it was a bento box you could get anywhere, but done well; Very well. And with excess. I’d pay $38 for it again irrespective of my frequent and slightly more convenient visits to Ishikaya on Bourke St for a $15 lunch special.

We were treated with the bipolar luxury of a private dining room whereby one feels special and dines in relative intimacy with their guests in their false-floored authentic tables to suit fat westerners, but at the price of missing out on the general ambiance of the restaurant; pronounced further when there is just 2 in said private dining room (not complaining at all as it was lovely).
I don’t want to score this out of 20 as it will naturally be disparate with Sandra and Elliot’s evaluations and not a fair basis of comparison, so I will say that to a foodie wanting a great lunch for a decent but not bargain basement price this is a win. If you want to be blown over with nouveau creative inspiration then lunch here is not for you unless you seek the glory of seriously fresh fish. Either way there is good food to be had, you can quibble over the prices and value c.f other venues in the area. But I still like it, a lot.

This review provide by N.M.

Cafe Vue at Heide (Heidelberg) 11/09

2009-12-02T09:59:00.005+11:00

The Café at Heide Gallery of Modern Art has become the latest extension to Shannon Bennetts growing restaurant empire. Rumour has it that he will be taking over at the Rialto soon too! We visited the current exhibition of Cubist Art in Australia and stopped for lunch at Café Vue at Heide. It was pleasing to be greeted by some of the senior staff who had looked after us so well and so often at Vue de Monde. Brian Lloyd, formerly manager at Vue de Monde is now manager here and Mark Briggs, former head chef there is in charge in the kitchen The café is an inside/outside space, very open with 3 sided walls of glass and umbrella shaded outside tables.
Tables are smallish and fairly close but not uncomfortably so It was packed with diners of all ages. There is a limited lunch menu, slightly expanded for dinner. A two course ($35) or thee course ($45) lunch, served Tuesday to Sunday, is on offer with a small range of wines by the glass at reasonable prices. We tried both entrées and both mains on offer, a couple of side dishes and a mango soufflé dessert. Goats cheese gnocchi with baby beetroot salad was excellent

as was the char grilled sardines with citrus, olive oil emulsion and salted cod.
I am reluctant to order fresh sardines as they are often over powering but these retained the characteristic sardine taste without dominating the dish. The roasted ocean trout with sorrel sauce was delicately prepared
although the sorrel sauce was hard to recognize, taste wise. The rotisserie Wagyu beef served with garlic snails
– that should really have been snail, as there was only one, was a tasty piece of meat though not marked by the large amount of fat in the meat of the higher grades. It lay on a bed of potato mousse line which was so good we ordered a side plate of it ($6). Made with Exon potatos and a ratio of 3 or 4 parts butter to one part potato it had superb rich taste and wonderful creamy texture. A side dish of crunchy over cooked pommes frites ($8)
did not add much to the meal. We finished with a mango soufflé with yoghurt sorbet
which looked good and tasted good but the egg had broken down producing a course rough texture. There are hints of Vue de Monde in the decor
like the potted herbs but it is very much a cafe with it's own very pleasing character. They also have $15 lunch boxes and a range of very attractive pastries. I accidentally dented the chocolate tart!

If you’re going to Heide I’d definitely make time for a meal at Café Vue

Score: 13.5/20

Vue de Monde (Melbourne) 11/09

2009-11-27T09:24:00.012+11:00

Before anything else I want to say that it is a mystery as to how this computer varies font sizes. Despite fiddling around nothing seems to make it consistent for which I apologise. On the preview it looks consistent but not so when published!

The chefs 10 course menu at VdM has been an unfailing triumph for us over the last decade or more and last week was no exception. Dish after dish from the exceptional amuse bouche to the lemon souffle was a joy to the palate and the eye. As always, although there have been some staff changes the service was impeccable. Part way through the meal when I mentioned that we had particularly enjoyed a lobster dish Gareth, who was looking after us, arranged for an extra dish a marron on a rock which I will speak about after the photo of it.
This is what we were served.

AMUSE BOUCHE

Confit egg with white asparagus and wood sorrel.

Cooked at 62 degrees for 12 minutes, the egg white separated and replaced at the base of the shell, served with Panku (bread crumbs), a lightly battered asparagus and a tarragon emulsion. Like a variation of a coddled egg the crunchy bread crumbs and tarragon emulsion added an extra dimension to the endless appealing ways that eggs can be served. This was an exquisite start for the meal.

DÉCLINAISON D’ASPERGES

Asparagus textures

2000 Moët & Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon Champagne Épernay, France

An unusual presentation of a variety of cuts of asparagus with a light warm mayonnaise finished with an asparagus juice. A fine, multi textured gently flavoured dish.

RISOTTO AUX TRUFFES D’ALBA

Classically inspired white truffle risotto

NV Barbadillo Oloroso Dulce 30yo Jerez, Spain

This risotto, cooked to perfection was enormously enhanced by the white truffles which had been harvested only 36 hours ago and retained superb taste, texture and aroma - to die for!

PAIN PERDU ACCOMPAGNÉ DE FOIE GRAS

French toast, green apple purée and foie gras with eight spice and jamón Joselito ibérico

2007 François Chidaine Montlouis ‘Les Tuffeaux’ Loire Valley, France

Another outstanding dish, the 'Pain perdu' a sweet French toast topped with a great Iberica jambon matched and contrasted with the puree and the eight spice for added flavour.

MERLAN ET BASIL BALLOTINE

Whiting and basil ballotine, tomato infusion and mozzarella noodle

2007 Adegas Valmiñor ‘Davila’ Galicia, Spain

Served with a tomato stock infused through herbs in a Cona coffee percolator this is a dish of balanced gentle flavours eaten slowly to enjoy all its variation.

ÉCREVISSE RÔTIE

Roasted marron with bisque glaze and radish served on hot river stone

1998 Domaine Long-Depaquit Chablis Grand Cru 'La Moutonne' Burgundy, France

The marron sat on a bed of marron mousse and was accompanied by dollops of homogenized sea urchin which, while retaining the distinct flavour of the sea urchin, were not over whelming. The rock, from the Yarra river bed near Heidi Gallery, had been thoroughly sterilized by being roasted at high temperature before being accepted for table service. The baby turnips, also from the Heidi gardens were a crisp delight and the lightly cooked marron as good as it gets.

JUS AU VERJUS

Liquid verjus at - 8°C

Prepared at the table the addition of this super cooled verjus resulted in the formation of a little iceberg in the glass. A favourite at Vue for good reason.

PORC AUX SAVEURS DE LA TERRE

Western plains pork with flavours of earth

2007 Kanonkop Pinotage Simonsberg, South Africa

A rack, in this case one small pork chop, a piece of loin, like belly but not as fatty, and pork neck were a fine trio with a slice of crisp bacon and cep mushroom powder added to this dish completed with an excellent sauce.

AGNEAU RÔTI ET RIS D’agneau

Poached loin and rillette of lamb with Pedro Ximenez reduction

2002 Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ‘Rutherford’ Napa Valley, United States of America

If the previous dish was excellent, and it was, this was even better. It might have been called lamb three ways with a rillette flanked by a delicate piece of loin and some sweetbreads. Tender and juicy, with a collar of potato it was a carnivores delight.

FROMAGE

Le Napoleon, almond toast, fennel and cherry salad, cherry ‘pâte de fruit’

2008 Albino Rocca Moscato d’Asti Piedmont, Italy

A firm tasty cheese enhanced by the cherry jelly.

ENTREMET SUCRÉ

This was a total surprise. you open the carton and this is what you see.

Egg shells filled with super rich flavoured mousses and foams. A dessert for the taste conscious not the health conscious. I loved it.

Lemon meringue soufflé

1993 Domaine Disznókó Tokaji Aszú’5 Puttonyos’ Takaj, Hungary

Although there were still a variety of petit fours to come with tea or coffe we made this magnificent lemon souffle our last dessert. As with the rest of the meal this was beyond criticism with a disinct, but not overwhelming lemony taste and perfect texture for the souffle.

There were a few tiny imperfections. It always irritates me when I put a piece of cutlery on the edge of a plate and it slides down into the centre of the plate, specially if it has soup in it!
To some extent taking matched wines, presuming some person with superior taste and judgment will chose wines that will not only match the food you are eating but also your taste is high risk and almost certain to fail to please at times. On the two occasions where the wines did not satisfy the response was an instantaneous offer of a replacement. The timing of the delivery of the wines was often well before the food arrived thus it was almost finished before it could be enjoyed with the dish which it was matched.

The distinguishing features of meals at VdM are the use of the finest ingredients prepared with imagination and finesse to express the flavours of the foods in balanced combination. Dishes are presented like art on a plate by staff who go out of their way to please their clients. Seasoning is discreet. It is rare to find one flavour dominating a dish

Score:19 /20

Cafe Vue (South Yarra) 11/09

2009-11-24T21:25:00.008+11:00

Of all the cafes in Melbourne none stand out with the style displayed at Cafe Vue at 401 St.Kilda Rd. There are a few outside tables which give no hint of the interior with its clean open appearance, modern furniture and several striking features including a large round table partly surrounded by a white wood creation like half a bird cage, referred to here as the Queens corset because of its shape. In front of the kitchenthere is an antique looking refurbished rotisserie. Toilets are unusual too,in deep red with braille to assist the blind to chose the correct door although it's little help after that!

The breakfast menu is very limited 'thugh they have a great range of small cakes and patisseries. When a shrivelled baguette with some dry ham ($8) and a croque monsieur consisting of a couple of slices of toast and a bit of ham ($6) accompanied by a pot of the most watery tea arrived my heart sank. There was a bottle of home made tomato sauce in the little box with the salt, pepper, paper serviettes and cutlery but it didn't help much.

This disastrous beginning was saved when Matt, the personable manager, came over and spent some time discussing our feedback, a waitress brought two more tea bags, and we tried a couple of other things. A chicken and porcini mushroom pie resting on a fine pea puree in a perfectly reduced sauce ($11)was excellent, despite the fact that I could see the mushrooms but not taste them. An escargot pastry was worthy of a French patisserie, crisp on the outside, soft and moist inside it was so good that we will go back again just for that.

They still to have some teething problems but they certainly have the potential to be outstanding. A unique space.

Score: 13/20

Ichi Ni (St.Kilda) 09

2009-11-13T22:38:00.005+11:00

Housed in an inside outside split level venue, a bit like an open hut with peculiar, though not unattractive, Japanese decor
around a large open central kitchen
at no.12 on the Esplanade. Ichi Ni offers its food in an environment dominated by an impressive level of noise making conversation difficult. It offers a wide range of dishes in the izakaya style.
Of this SunnyPages.jp tells us "Izakaya are restaurants that serve mostly Japanese food and various kinds of alcohol (everything from beer to sake and shouchuu). The main difference between izakaya and conventional restaurants is the variety of alcohol available at an izakaya, while the izakaya distinguishes itself from typical bars by the comparatively larger volume of foods it serves. You could say that izakaya resemble American “Bar-and-Grill”-style establishments. One of the best things about izakaya is that no matter how many times one visits one, there is always something else on the menu to enjoy so it's hard to get tired of the selection."
In keeping with that they are fully licenced and offer no BYO. We tried a variety of small dishes including Gyoza -five for $10 were of no distinction as was sea food tempura ($12).
I can do better myself. Miso soup ($3.5) served in the traditional bowl, without a spoon,

was totally ordinary. Rice, which we ordered to eat with these entrees ($4/small bowl) came to late. Grilled tofu was dry and hard

Pork belly, normally one of my favourite dishes, was an encouragement to vegetarianism, tuna sushi a prawn dish with a crispy coating
were equally unimpressive as was a skewer of scallops.($8)
A seafood don ($20) consisting of a skewer each of calamari, white fish and prawns served on rice with a miso soup was yet another disappointment.
The only things enjoyable about the meal were a lychee vodka and lime ($15) and an excellent Kisakura Pure saki ($12).
Price: Expensive if you are hungry
Comments: All dishes were served on coarse china and none had any sign of the delicacy I associate with fine Japanese food. Add that to the noise and for us this place has a returnability factor of zero.
Score:10 /20

The Court House (Berwick) 09

2009-11-08T20:00:00.006+11:00

This upper class outer south eastern suburb only about 40 km from the Melbourne CBD seems, for no good reason, to have been over looked by the restaurant reviewers. Apart from the usual pizza and pasta shops there are several good places at which to eat including The Berwick Inn, Dante's, Clover Cottage which offers all you can eat at a very respectable smorgasbord and The Court House which boasts that it is number one in Berwick and I think it probably is.
It is housed in a National trust building, adjacent to its National Trust neighbour, formerly the Post Office both built in 1884 at No. 1 Gloucester Avenue.
The main dining room is the former court room. The witness stand and dock and the area occupied by the judge
remain intact in excellent condition. The room is illuminated by three impressive chandeliers, the whole creating a quite special atmosphere. Service was pleasant and informative for the meal that I had there courtesy of St John of God hospital.
For entree, described here as preliminaries I found the Lemon & pepper calamari
($14.5) deep fried calamari strips served with mixed leaf and cherry tomato salad with home made tartare sauce, a pleasant but uninspiring entree.
Bruschetta ($9.95)
warmed bread topped with tomato, red onion, basil and parmesan cheese with a drizzle of balsamic was, as promised, a simple, unpretentious dish.
Garlic Prawns ($15) was probably the pick of the entrees. Six prawn tails sauteed in a rich garlic, cream and white wine sauce served over turmeric rice looked excellent.
For mains, called Supreme Court here I had a Rack of lamb with herb crust ($32),
a four point rack served with mash, a warm tomato salad and beans. This might have been more interestingly seasoned and certainly a serrated edge knife would have been helpful but it was a very juicy piece of meat.
Barramundi, ($32)
A whole barramundi deep fried until crispy, served with bok choy on a a shredded Asian omelette of spring onion and Chinese sausage dressed with a fantastic zingy sauce (their description) was seriously disappointing. It looked great but had been cooked to death and was very dry and totally lacking in taste. Photo is as it was served. I would have preferred it served with the head of the fish toward me.
Not Guilty - Just Desserts were indeed just desserts. Sticky Date pudding ($13.95)
was a warm pudding served with their (not very) special caramel sauce and a scoop of English toffee ice cream was unexceptional.
Chocolate mousse mille feuille ($12-.5) described as layers of rich chocolate mousse and chantilly cream sandwiched between layers of flaky puff pastry served with shards of almond praline far from being a light and delicate dessert was an indifferent dessert. the pastry was heavy and the praline was rock hard, tooth fracturing quality toffee- inedible.

George Dore, a part owner of the property, told me the history of the place and the problems of council restrictions and access that they have to deal with. National Trust buildings certainly have plenty of problems but the Court House is is a wonderful venue, and I expect it to continue to punish or reward its clients, depending on their menu selection.Score: 13.75/20

Hooked (Windsor) 09

2009-11-04T17:38:00.004+11:00

Those fliers that appear so frequently in my letterbox offering handyman services, carpet cleaning, cut price pizzas free home delivery for orders over $x free drink with presentation of this card and similar must work or they wouldn't keep on offering them. Hooked at 172 Chapel St came up with with a couple of offers and their claim to offer the best seafood etc was quite appealing so I took myself off there. Despite the flattering reviews posted on their windows the place is tired to the point of exhaustion.
It is terribly in need of a total makeover. It offers eat in or take away. They have a massive communal table, seats about 14, with a selection of magazines, and a few small tables including a couple on the footpath. A pile of dull looking cutlery in a crude box on the table,
uncomfortable chairs and dull decor encourage the take away option.
Their most popular meal is battered or grilled Blue Grenadier with Bok choy and hand cut chips or sticky rice. ($9.90) so that's what I had, the batter and the rice.
They offer a variety of other fish and calamari. The batter was crisp and cooked through but a bit thicker than I would have liked inside of it two rather small moist and tasty fillets rested on a mound of sticky rice which had been cooked until it had congealed into a homogenous mass. Unrecognizable as rice.
They have a frig. full of soft drinks and another labelled Booze but no tea or coffee and another small deficiency, no toilet!
Hooked I am not.
Score: 12 /20

Streetsmart

2009-11-03T23:50:00.004+11:00

Help needed to support Streetsmart charities

In a world with big budgets and high overheads, Streetsmart http://www.streetsmartaustralia.org/restaurantevent is one of those charities that helps the small and local, roping in cafes and restaurants to support often forgotten frugal local causes.

On Monday 9th November its 2009, running until Christmas Streetsmart’s campaign kicks off. The idea is that diners leave an extra $2 for Streetsmart, which distributes the funds to local homeless-related charities, the kind that only really need a few thousand dollars.

It isn’t a big charity but it is worthy and important because it works at the hyperlocal level (and you can find participants on a Google map here, paste this into your browser, http://www.streetsmartaustralia.org/findrestaurant )

What can you do to help?

Have a look at http://twitter.com/StreetSmartAust on Twitter or join its Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5985883876 page for updates on events.

If you are a diner and you have a choice of where to have a coffee or eat, choose a Streetsmart supporter and help by donating $2, that’s 2 lousy dollars. Nothing really.

If you have a blog (any blog, it doesn’t have to be about food) or you Twitter,you can help by promoting Streetsmart and pass on the messag to blogger and Twitter friends who may like to help. This is a great time for social media to show its solidarity whle old fashioned media are in flux and haven’t in many cases the resources to help right now.

Cafe Latte (Toorak) 09

2009-10-31T14:05:00.013+11:00

Looking at a selection of reviews on the net it is apparent that Cafe Latte polarizes its clients.The lovers and haters seem to be about evenly split. Regardless it always seems to be pretty busy.
Just in case you forget where you are (or where you borrowed it from) they have their name emblazoned on the glassware
and crockery but that does nothing to detract from the food.
An entree of spinach pasta filled with fresh ricotta in a lemon butter sauce with sage and almond slivers
did not quite sing to me, the lemon being a bit too prominent, but it was quite pleasant as was a main of crispy skin salmon,
although a little over cooked for my liking.
The braised lamb rump was an real gold medal dish.
Simple. in a perfectly lamb matched jus, not too concentrated , on a bed of spring vegetables, it was tender and mouth wateringly tasty. A perfectly blended dish.
A pannacota surrounded by sliced strawberries was an honest dessert.Service was enthusiastic and informed about the food but not so much about the wines which are reasonably prices.
Score 14/20

Unsolicited but Interesting

2009-10-31T13:53:00.004+11:00

About a week ago i got this email and had a look at the sites. Cheese lovers might find them of some interest - I did!

dnnutt@aol.com
to qwerty

A good story

GK Chesterton: “The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.”

Voila: www.tastingtoeternity.com. This book is a poetic view of 30 of the best loved French cheeses with an additional two odes to cheese. Recipes, wine pairing, three short stories and an educational section complete the book.

From a hectic life in New York City to the peace and glories of the French countryside lead me to be the co-founder of www.fromages.com. Ten years later with the words of Pierre Androuet hammering on my brain:

“Cheese is the soul of the soil. It is the purest and most romantic link between humans and the earth.”

I took pen and paper; many reams later with the midnight oil burning Tasting to Eternity was born and self published.

I believe cheese and wine lovers should be told about this publication.

Enjoy.

Tokyo Sushi (Richmond) 09

2009-10-27T18:51:00.003+11:00

It was lunchtime and a vacant parking place conveniently appeared almost opposite Richmond Hill Larder (RHL). As I crossed the road I was attracted to a packed Japanese take away or eat in eatery- not really a café or a restaurant, although they have about half a dozen small tables and a couple more on the footpath. A glass fronted counter was packed with sushi.

This, the graphic pictures of their dishes,
and the appearance of a staff member of RHL getting takeaway convinced me to go no further. Starting with Gyoza,
six king size specimens with dipping sauce and a little chopped tomato, for $6 they represent good value for volume but the crisp pastry and filling were very average

Sushi Don ($9.5)
was a large bowl of rice covered with a mass of lettuce, mushroom, carrot, seaweed, beef and other unidentifiable ingredients. It was quite tasty, filling and distinctly Japanese ‘cuisine bourgeois’ filling and fairly priced.

Japanese fast food, cash only, good for a casual hungry diner at 60 Bridge Rd.

Score 12.5/20

Mitsuno (Malvern) 09

2009-10-21T22:05:00.007+11:00

I have been wanting to visit this well regarded Japanese restaurant at 16 Glenferrie Rd for some time and am only sorry that I only got to trying a couple of dishes. Seating about 40 it's a simply furnished pleasant well lit venue. (despite this dark picure). A couple of blackboards offer the days specials and a selection of saki and beers.

Eating solo I knew what to do this time. I ordered a cold semi dry saki,
a bargain for $8 for about 300ml, picked up a book, Curiosi-tea, which is a fascinating collection of stories and information about tea, and settled back for a relaxed meal.

With the advice of the proprietor I started with a platter of sashimi ($18).

Decorated with thin strands of daikon, thin slices of radish some slices of lemon, there were three slices of five sea foods. The centre of the plate as occupied with Tuna surrounded by Blue Eye, salmon, scallop and kingfish. They came with a knob of wasabi and a saucer of soy sauce. This was a fine dish each fish with its own texture and taste however, without detracting from it, I have have had better. The scallop was perfect as was the Blue Eye but I have had finer examples of the salmon and kingfish.

I followed this with a special rare cooked marinated grade 9 Wahgu topside on a bed of sweet potato mash with a light sweet soy sauce ($18).

This was totally delicious. An excellent combination of well matched fine tastes with the varied textured steak.

I finished the meal with a panacota with chili strawberry sauce ($9.5). The panacotta was disappointing, it could have come off the shelf at Coles, and the chili was undetectable in the otherwise tasty sauce.
Comments: Although till some way off perfect I thoroughly enjoyed this meal.

Score:14 /20

Mr Wolf (St.Kilda) 09

2009-10-21T15:02:00.007+11:00

I'm not used to dining alone. It's a little uncomfortable at first. I've got a few weeks to get used to it. Listening to conversations nearby, trying to look at ease, staring at the walls, the menu, the passers by, whatever.
Unfortunately it is not delicacy that prevents me reporting the conversations I heard - they just weren't interesting. Unfortunately neither was the food. Mr.W occupies two large shop fronts and seats about 50 on not very comfortable chairs at very plain bare tables. Dimly lit it was near full on the night I was there. Never the less service was prompt, friendly and informative.
They have antipasti, a heap of fancy pizza's and a few not pizza dishes including some pasta and a few desserts. There are a small range of wines and a larger range of cocktails available. I opted for a Spanish red ($10) and the 'wet dish' the days special- lamb shanks yep there really were two good sized shanks.

Served with pumpkin, parsnip, carrot and potato and bread to mop up the heavy rich sauce it's a man size meal. The meat was falling off the bone tender, the vegetables thoroughly stewed. It is a good solid farmers dinner, honest and unpretentious - just like home cooking.

They provide special meals for the 'bambini' and also supply crayons and paper.
Incidently, Mr.W is one of very few restaurants to appear in both the Age Good Food Guide and Cheapeats. Too bad it's not in the Entertainment book!
To be fair to them I will have to at least try one of their much admired thin crust pizzas but for now-

Score: 12.75/20
Cut into four ("Cut it into four I don't thnk I could eat eight" Yogi Bera) this is the Diavolo ($18.5 takeaway) olives, cheese, anchovy, tomato, chili ever so slightly burnt on one edge it's a nice pizza but not good enough to change my opinion.

Nuevo 37 (Melbourne Sth Wharf) 09

2009-10-20T22:18:00.010+11:00

Melbourne has a very sophisticated restaurant clientele. It requires more than the backing of a celebrity chef for a restaurant to remain popular and there are too many venues of every kind to make a place successful unless it has other qualities. Novelty alone will not do. Position is important. Atmosphere very significant. Specially important are the food and to some extent the perceived value.

Isolated from the main restaurant areas in the Hilton at South Wharf Nuevo 37 has either to cater for passing trade who visit the nearby Convention Centre or to become a destination restaurant for the locals. The very high ceiling room with a cathedral feeling is impressive, not that I'm expecting a religious experience. Wood lined there are large windows looking to the west with a pleasing light as the sun sets.
Spanish Michelin starred chef Ramon Freixa has designed the menu with the help of Phillipe Perrey and intends, I'm told, to fly over from Spain four times a year.
Regardless of the imprint on the food it will certainly impact on his carbon footprint.
Entering the foyer of the hotel one is faced with very large wall decoration made from pot scourers in several colours. More novelty is promised at the restaurant.
The staff, under the direction of assistant maitre d/sommellieur Josh Fraser, have the difficult task of presenting and explaining quite complicated dishes to guests who are frequently intent on their conversations. The food does not stand alone. It needs to be described if one is to have a clue about what is on the plate.
After a bowl of mixed olives and a Spanish version of a bruschetta,
a slightly crisp slice of grilled bread with bits of ham Doubtless they would call it 'jambon' on top we had a pleasant consomme, tomato I think,
with some codfish which could just as well have been prawn, lobster or calamari. Pleasant enough but not very special.
The first dish was called ''white with a black point'', ($27.5)
a central piece of very salty rather coarse cod was surrounded by a totally tasteless benign textured pillar of homogenized set cauliflower, a smear of garlic paste, a liquid almond gel and a second near tasteless gel and caramelized black garlic which we were advised to eat last for it's special flavour. Hardly a mesmerizing experience. we did come for dinner not some unconnected stroll through a variety of textures and unimpressive tastes. I found no logic to the dish Perhaps a more explicit interpretation of these flavours and there relationship to Freixa's Catalonian background might have helped, or perhaps not.
The next course was another weird one - both fish and fowl. ($39.5)
A breast and leg of spatchcock in escabeche, a Moreton Bay bug and a little vegetable mix with a skin of green rice for edible decoration.
We finished with a rather pleasing chocolate cake called
Chocolate 2009.2. ($20)
I found this a profoundly disappointing meal. It was quite expensive coming to $145/ head which included four glasses of wine - a Spanish bubbly, Segura Viudas, a Manzanilla, a Conde de Valdemar Temparanilla red (2004) and a Hidalgo "Triano" Pedro Ximenez super sweet sherry.
I was a little surprised to see that their web site www.nuevo37.com.au fails to mention Phillipe Perrey who, I gather is actually in charge of the day to day cooking.
Score:12.5 /20

Scheherazade (Caulfield Nth) 09

2009-10-14T22:42:00.008+11:00

Scheherazade has a very long history. For years it was an iconic Jewish restaurant. It has been a centre for conversation and Polish Jewish food for decades and recently moved a few miles from one of the former centres of Melbourne Jewish life in Acland Street St.Kilda to its new home at 58 Hawthorn Rd. These remarks from travel.com are only true of the food today.

"In 1958, Avram and Masha Zeleznikov acquired Scheherazade and began serving Jewish fare, Chicken broth, cabbage rolls, Cholent, vegetable stew, chicken schnitzel, Black Forest cake, almond torte, apple compote, lemon tea and coffee were served. Scheherazade eventually became an institution for Jewish, Yiddish, Polish and Russian immigrants to gather and reminisce. The cafe became so famed that Arnold Zable, the Melbourne novelist, wrote a collection of powerful stories, fictionalising the horror and hope of the Zeleznikovs and their customers, in his novel Cafe Scheherazade."

When I phoned to make a reservation I asked "Do you have duck on the menu?" A bored lady backed by a noisy TV said she would check and came back a few moments later answering in the affirmative. "How is it cooked?" I asked "Have you been to Acland Street?" she replied in a bored tone. Yes, years ago I said "Same cooking as Acland Street." But how is it cooked? "Same cooking" was the reply. Alright I'll make a reservation. "We only have one serve of duck left" OK I said put it away for me.

So we arrived at this huge empty barn of a place,
quite pleasantly decorated with a large horseshoe shaped bar at the top of the room.
Quite a few blown light bulbs had not been replaced giving an air of neglect to the place. There was one table occupied. We chose a window seat. Large bare tables, paper napkins, ordinary cutlery matched the atmosphere.
The young waitress, who turned out to be a science student took our rather good bottle of French wine and returned with two glasses. After a short time the now opened wine was returned and placed on the table. I rather ostentatiously poured out the 1/4 of an inch of water in my wine glass and dried it with the napkin while the menu was being discussed and then poured two glasses of wine!! (Corkage $6) No comment from the waitress.
A basket of excellent rye bread
with a sachet of Lurpak butter / slice was welcome until the soup arrived . There are half a dozen on the menu. we had a delicious and enormous serve of chicken soup with Kneidlach ($7.90)
and a hot Russian Borcht almost spilling off the plate
with masses of beetroot, a boiled potato and sour cream. Sandra felt it needed some vinegar or lemon to tart it up a bit but I loved it.
For mains we had a boiled brisket($23.50) with vegetables, very plain, tender and under seasoned.
and, of course, the duck ($26.90). It had been braised and then roasted and stuffed with apple.
A huge serve, the meat was falling off the bone. No sauce available. the apple was very tasty and the duck rather bland as was the brisket. Both served with roast potatoes, I love them too, coarse chopped well cooked carrots and broccoli accompanied the mains. an extra dish of coleslaw for the duck and a quarter of a jar of French mustard
for the brisket were very welcome.
A dessert of cherry pyrrogi from the freezer
had very tough pastry making it hard to eat and impossible to enjoy.
It's a shame that this place, which has the elements to be pretty good, misses out in many small ways. The menu is quite wide ranging including fish, schnitzel and steak. There should be something to please everyone. It suffers from a total lack of professionalism in it's approach to customers, yet it is quite friendly and the food not expensive. It is very much a Russian/Polish Jewish cuisine and we've eaten a lot worse.
Score: 12.75/20

Olives (Brighton) 09

2009-10-05T22:00:00.008+11:00

This popular mixed Mediterranean style suburban café/bistro serves substantial dishes of fish, meat and pasta accompanied by excellent home made bread and lightly flavoured olives in a very mild, herb infused, olive oil. It is simply furnished with small cloth covered tables in two rooms separated by a long covered walkway. All the staff were extremely amiable but, apart from the proprietor, had little idea about the food. They are fully licensed but for $10 BYO is welcome but not quite welcomed. The Entertainment Book has a voucher for Olives for up to $35 discount for the lesser priced of the meals you order. The menu then excludes a couple of th dishes from discounts. Worse still, if you chose to drink your own wine you cannot use the voucher. In effect this very ordinary café is saying your corkage is effectively up to $45 on your first bottle of wine! This is all a bit strange since they have a small wine list with several bottles under $40.

When I suggested we split the table so, with no voucher we drank the wine and our friends used the voucher and did not have the wine they didn’t like it, initially said “No, it’s one table.”, but then said OK because they didn’t want to argue.
After the olives, courtesy of the café we had a platter of mixed dips-
Tzadiki, eggplant and an egg salad. This was a smallish serve for $18, with plenty of bread. We followed this with a grilled Saganaki, ($14)
which was dry and leathery, on a bed of rocket.
For mains we had a large fillet of barramundi,
lightly cooked as requested, under a white sauce with a couple of very nice scallops and a couple of mussels on a bed of mash potato, again decorated with plenty of rocket. A spaghetti marinara, which I’m told was nice though it didn’t look very special at all had the usual covering of rocket.
A mixed grill on a plain overcooked bed of rice which added nothing but a little carbohydrate to the meal. No need to guess this was also adorned with rocket!!
A dessert of sticky date pudding with vanilla bean ice cream ended a very ordinary meal.
Their arrangements in regard to discount offers are not really in the spirit of the Entertainment Book.
Comment: A filling meal in a café distinguished by liberal use of rocket and little else Their boast that they serve some of the best seafood is not sustained by the dishes they serve. At best it is a simple family style restaurant. Simple in every way from the decor to the food and service.Score: 12/20

CHATTER 25 Journalists,and Bloggers

2009-10-05T00:11:00.004+11:00

There is a simmering resentment between newspaper food writers and bloggers, and some chefs too which was highlighted in an article in the Herald Sun last Tuesday, 29/09/09. I think it is the result a sort of unacknowledged jealousy. Although they may both write about the same things, and might even share identical views, there is a marked difference between what appears in the dead tree press compared to the I’net.

Journalists work under completely different constraints to bloggers and they have obligations that bloggers don’t have. Firstly it is their job. It is unlikely that they would not enjoy it but never the less it is a job. They are assigned to it, perhaps because they ask for the assignment, perhaps just because they are available at the time someone is needed. There is no qualification for the job. No one tests their palate or their knowledge. Not one of them, as far as I know, has a degree, or even a certificate, in gastronomy. Few, if any, would have any serious background in the history of food and drink. Here I’m writing about restaurant reviewers rather than writers of recipes and articles. Not only do most of them begin by knowing very little of what they are to writing about but also their talent for the job is completely unknown. A cynic once wrote words to the effect that journalists are people who know nothing and have the ability to express it!

Regardless of initial enthusiasm after a time they may become jaded, it may become tedious, even boring being sent to places, often not of ones choice, perhaps to eat food even further from ones choice, that one would not normally wish to eat. Further more journalists have to meet deadlines, they have to include certain information and they have to fit it to a specific space. That’s the point, they HAVE to.

As compensation not only do they get paid they also have expense accounts and they have time to research their work to ensure that the factual information they provide is accurate. Perish the thought but prejudices and biases are not restricted to political commentators. There is a misplaced belief that they visit a restaurant several times before writing a revue while bloggers rip off opinion pieces and reviews at the drop of a hat. Frank Bruni, in New York, did go four or five times before writing his revues and had a blog for more casual eating experiences, but most local reviewers rarely go more than once except to high end establishments.

Prominent journalists are recognized by restaurant staff, Matt Preston probably couldn’t go incognito anywhere in Melbourne no matter how he tried to disguise himself, and this certainly influences how they are treated. Stephen Downes, I’m told, is banned from a dozen restaurants around town. George Calombaris is a darling of the Melbourne media and never a week passes without a mention or photograph of him. I’d lay a small bet that if a journalist, with the exception of Stephen Downes, went to one of Georges restaurants on a really bad night, even George has them, and wrote an appropriate review it would not get published, he would be sent back for a further assessment but he has no influence with bloggers which might account for his ill informed remarks in the article.

For more on this see http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com/ Even without the benefit of quality pic’s, except for the glossy magazines, newspaper reviews strongly influence diners choices. Good reviews are a blessing bad ones a disaster for many restaurateurs although really good restaurants rise above uncomplimentary reviews. Blogs are an uncertain quantity. If they had no influence nobody would care what they said but from my own experience I know that restaurants are concerned about what is said about them on the net. Blogs are being referred to more and more and chef’s and restaurant owners are concerned about them. Fortunately blogs are an open public forum and contrary views get aired and responded to. There is room for dissent and discussion. Many blogs have an international audience and comments come from anywhere in the world. In my view this is a major failing in the regular press. You may write directly to a journalist, and you might get a reply but no way can it open up a discussion with the wider public because the public never get to see anything but the words and wisdom of the little circle of writers favoured by the media. Blogs often have lengthy comment and counter comments and vividly expressed opinions. They provide a forum for discussion and debate rather than a pedestal from which to offer unassailable opinion.

Bloggers might also be journalists but fundamentally they blog because they want to. They are there for the love of it. They fall into niches according to their interests. Food bloggers may concentrate their attention on any subject, coffee or beer or chocolate, cheap meals vegetarian or general recipes cooking hints or discussions reviews or any mixture. They blog as frequently or as rarely as they wish, they write as much or as little as they wish and they often illustrate what they are writing about with pic’s that can be better than words. They have no editor and their spelling and grammar may be sloppy but their meaning is clear

It really is not surprising that journalists have so little regard for bloggers and bloggers are so often critical of journalists. Bloggers are possibly a little jealous of perks for journalists and their ready made, and unearned audience. Journalists resent the freedom of bloggers to express views, which they may regard as ill informed or half baked, with little restraint with regard to language, style and content.

I suspect that the recent extraordinary interest in everything related to food and eating will continue and the public will turn more and more to blogs for information amusement and discussion. There are now over 600 food related blogs in Australia and there is not going to be any way to address the causes of the conflicts that arise between them and newspaper journalists.

Were I a journalist I might have written a better piece than this but until some one else does Vive la difference.

Score: I reckon they're about even

Grossi Florentino The Restaurant (Melbourne) 09

2009-09-28T17:51:00.009+10:00

After your team loses the grand final following a sensational season is not the best preparation for fine dining but you can’t keep a pair of good eaters down for long. So off we went to degustate once more. Grossi has a down stairs bar and a bistro dining area but high class dining is provided in two rooms up a narrow staircase on the first floor. Large imitation painting- a dark reproduction Boticceli on one side and an even darker Caravaggio opposite decorate the magnificent room in which we ate. It is a spacious room, carpeted, the tables well spaced, double white clothes, metal chandeliers hang from domed hollows in the patterned ceiling and large windows face on to Bourke Street, a major city thoroughfare. Truly a grand setting.

An eight course degustation menu ($195) looked like good value, if you can speak in those terms, since entrees are in the vicinity of $40 and mains around $50 and more. Matched wines add $65 to the bill. They are mostly Italian and some are grapes we do not see in Australia.

The meal began with a chef’s offering, a shot glass of a cream of celeriac soup, with a pleasant celery taste. There was a plentiful supply of bread and bread sticks with both butter and a very raw olive oil.

The first course was a seared tuna with avocado, called cucumber by the waiter, lemon, and set off with an extra virgin olive oil ice cream which made the whole dish quite special. The best way I have ever eaten seared tuna.

This was followed by a Russian Lobster Salad, Why Russian? Regardless it was excellent. Lightly cooked, firm and sweet it contrasted well with the sea urchin and a light horse radish cream accompaniment. An indifferent note was introduced by a black rice crisp which tasted like a bit of burnt wood.

The third course was a black wild rice risotto with a very fresh delicate, just cooked, Morton Bay bug with a Parmesan sabayon. Texturally more like wild rice than Arborio rice and possibly darker because of the inclusion of some mushroom, this interesting variation on the usual presentation was another very pleasing surprise.

Pine needle smoked quail had a distinct smoky flavour and again had an interesting blend of textures and tastes provided by the accompanying slice of ‘Jambon’, toasted pine nuts and pine nut oil, fegola and candied quince. Sweet, salty, smoky with a bit of nutty flavour it may not be for the purist but we both loved it.

Next came the renowned Glenloth pigeon, roasted breast and leg raviolio with cous cous, crème de tapa, cardamom and liquorice powder. Sandra loved this but, having had the same dish here a few months ago I opted to swap for a tender veal fillet with porchini lentils. I was hoping for milk veal but could find no fault with the slightly older piece they served.

The final main was a slow cooked Wagyu rump cap. Cooked sous vide it sat atop a slice of lightly pickled veal tongue with little cubes of potato, fennel and rosemary praline and a green salsa. Yet another really tasty dish. The wagyu was delicate and tender and superbly representative of what good wagyu should be like. It contrasted perfectly with the rich, almost meltingly tender, tongue balanced by the potato and salsa.

Three palate cleansing gelatos, lemon which was very tart, mango which looked the right colour but tasted only of passion fruit and strawberry which was slightly strawberry but very very sweet.

The final dessert was a fine souffle with a vanilla bean ice cream and valhronna chocolate sauce

It was nice to not have to pay extra for a coffee/tea and some little sweets to complete what was a first class meal in first rate surroundings.

There was one significant deficiency. It was the service. They really try hard, to hard. Firstly it was in your face and bordering on obsequious. Secondly we had four and possibly five different waiters only the first remembered what we each had ordered. Sometimes they offered the matched wines to me when I had not ordered them. Our guest was offered a dessert that she had not ordered. It took half an hour to get a cup of tea and later another half hour and a reminder to get another and finally I had to seek out a waiter to order a coffee.

This is a two and a half hat restaurant and with better service well worth three

Score 16.75/20

Le Petit Bourgoise (East Malvern) 09

2009-09-28T17:31:00.010+10:00

Three years ago we wrote this: A small surprisingly good suburban French restaurant at 330 Waverley Rd, East Malvern
Ambience: Pleasantly decorated, well spaced tables, gave me the feeling that this was a nice place to be. A homely atmosphere
Service: We were well looked after by the wife of the chef
Food: Classical French style. The menu is not large with interesting meat and fish dishes. For entrees ($15) the Scallops in a rich cream sauce were excellent but surpassed by the crab presented 3 ways
Mains ($26) the Kangaroo was outstanding the lamb excellent and the confit of duck about average.
Desserts ($11) also very good both the souffle and the Il flottante worth having for the sweet toothed
Wine: BYO corkage $3/person They have a small list at reasonable prices
Price: 3 courses are about $60/head
Comments: Well worth a second visit. I really liked it
Score: 15/20

There’s been little change. The menu is still much the same, hand written menu, the tables with double white napery and the forgettable décor in a pleasant room. Prices have risen Entrees are now $18, Mains $30 and desserts $15. The character of the food has not changed although the there are different things available. Perhaps a little staid it is nicely prepared and presented with very good quality produce. We started with a Chef’s selection entrée which included an oyster, olives, a duck rilette, an excellent cellariac salad in acram sauce and a stack of green beans, some beetroot and a couple of cubes of a soft yellow tofu. ($28 for two) This was a nice tasting dish with good variety. I would have preferred two oysters though because you can’t easily divide an oyster! We followed this with a very tender serve of lamb straps with potato Dauphine and some greenery. We followed this up with an excellent pair of soufflés one mango and one Grand Marnier, very sweet and flavoursome. Definitely worth a third visit and soon too.

Score: 15/20.

CHATTER 24 An Offer from Menulog

2009-09-25T15:20:00.003+10:00

Menulog contacted us recently with an offer to 1001 Dinner readers which you might like to take advantage of.

This is what they wrote:

Menulog Restaurant Delivery Guide (link to http://www.menulog.com.au) is Australia's largest restaurant guide (20,000+ restaurants) Order home delivery online (600+ restaurants) and get $10 off on your first delivery order using this voucher code: D72F8F

Note: Available for participating restaurants only (which display the “accepts vouchers”) sign
The voucher is valid until November 30, 2009.It can be used for purchase of a minimum of $20.

Maha (Melbourne) 09

2009-09-24T17:59:00.009+10:00

21 Bond Street sounds like an impressive address. It's the home of George Colombaris' modern middle eastern restaurant with partner chef Shane Delia. It is a dark and unattractive short street unrelieved by any lit signage and Maha from the outside looks very unappealing so why does it work so well. It's often hard to get a reservation. it's not cheap and yet the 130 odd seats are turned over almost every night. The place itself is pleasant enough but certainly not in any way spectacular. Dimly lit and simply decorated, a shelf of varied nicely displayed Venetian vases the only feature near my table. Unclothed wooden tables, just big enough, quite close together, white cloth napkins and reasonable quality cutlery and crockery, but nothing special. It could be anywhere. Service is cheerful, unhurried unobtrusive but quite attentive. Again it's good but it could be anywhere. So what's the secret? It's all the above plus THE FOOD. That is something special. They have a four ($75 or $120 with matched wines) or five course ($80 or $120 with wines) degustation (the difference is a soup) or a la carte which is largely the same as the dishes offered on the degustation menu. Naturally we had the degustation but chose our own wines.
Food is brought to the table in plates on wooden platteres and there is a herb mixture and sea salt on a small platter

The four courses are a selection of small cold dishes, a selection of small warm dishes, a selection of mains and a selection of deserts.The meal begins with a shot glass of palate cleansing Hyacinth syrup.

The cold dishes, served with pita bread, were fairly simple, inoffensive, unfussy, distinct, lightly spiced, distinguished as much by texture as taste. The two that stood out was the duck pate, smooth as butter with indescribably excellent taste and the hummus. The beans, bean salad, olive selection and the other salads were pleasant additions.The soup was flavour of the month it seems - pumpkin and we could have done without it.

The warm dishes, Quail wrapped in a vine leaf, lamb ribs with just a touch of chilli and sesame seeds. a dish of grilled cheese gnocchi was exceptional. There fine soft consistency and light cheese taste were a great combination.

The main an ever so slightly over grilled Blue Eye was tender and tasty, a garden salad OK but a spatchcock with a superb pine nut stuffing demonstrated a light hand and a refined palate was a top dish.Here'd a selection on my plate. There are a lot of spices in these dishes but they blend beautifully and none dominate. A mixture of deserts included a salt/sweet ice cream, watermelon with mint and, I think, rosewater, Turkish doughnuts with a centre of Turkish delight, a semi fredo ice cream, baklava and a glass of custard with pieces of jelly and honeycomb would satisfy the sweetest tooth.
The striking thing about the clientèle was their age. Almost no one looked to be over 40.
Wines are expensive but there are a few around $50 that are acceptable,
The bill comes in a box designed to look like an illuminated middle eastern book.Score: 15.5/20