Vue Du Monde

15th October 2011

Having planned and organised this night for my birthday for 4 months in advance the night was finally here for our trip to Vue Du Monde (and to finish number 46 off my list). After arriving early i checked into the downstairs reception area and was shown to the elevator. The elevator was operated by the reception person by remote. This was an indication of the level of detail and intricacy beyond anything seen at a restaurant in Melbourne before. Every detail and part of the restaurant, menu service had been customized to a vision devised by Shannon Bennett.

The clarity of this vision and the confidence in it also allowed the staff to really excel and go beyond the normal level of service and really interact with the guests. After being shown upstairs given i was early i headed to the Liu Bar attached to the restaurant. With great views over the city and out to sea and Albert park and amazingly decor the bar was equally impressive as everything about the restaurant and was very comfy.

I choose the Macadamia Martini. Macadamia infused Vodka with sugar cane, vermouth and a side of smashed macadamia praline. Beautiful, exquisite and decadent. After everyone had arrived and settled in for one drink in the bar and Clare eventually turned up we were moved into our dining area and they carried our drink through.

Given the special occasion and the size of our party (14 people), we were shown through to our private dining room. A reasonably blank dining area with our own bar in the corner and a long beautifully crafted table. Adorned with various wooden pieces that turned into cutlery holders and with wooden light fixtures. We also had our own balcony that was lit up with red heaters and light.

I started off with a glass of very expensive and very smooth and the most delicious glass of Dom Perignon 2002 vintage champagne.

After we had all been seated our personal chef, Florent, came out and enquired about dietary requirements, matching wines and explained the format of the evening. (the only down point was that these had been organised beforehand). Florent and our personal host and Waitress were all amazing, charming, engaging and genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves nearly as much as we were (even if the Waitress did seem to be in the room for the most inappropriate points - various weird conversations, Anja talking about stealing cutlery and Speed and I fighting with the wooden place block).

Florent or one of the other chefs (including some first year apprentices) would come out and explain each dish in detail and present it. This started with a combo of amuse bouche with a thin strip of pumpkin topped with pumpkin seeds, a oyster and lime puree wrapped in an edible cellophane ravioli and a extremely crispy slice of eel covered in white chocolate and caviar. Served on fancy slates and the eel was my favourite the crispiness and balanced flavour between the eel and the chocolate and caviar was excellent.

The final amuse bouche was a thin slice of venison served on a warm slab of salt rock that cured the venison as it was sitting on the rock. Rolled at the table and full of flavour and slightly salted . It was great.

The first proper course was a subtle mix of 4 sections of spanner crab topped with avocado, shaved kohlrabi (German turnip) and some caviar. A lime was shaved over the meal at the table. Fresh and quality flavour beautifully topped off with the hit of lime.

The next course was many people's favourite savory dish. A walnut puree already on the plate and a variety of different mushrooms served on a wood log and poured into the main dish before a cona infusion (distilled through a old school coffee making technique). A bold and beautiful infusion and the mushroom flavour was rich and bold. Great strong flavours and a great mix of the broth and raw, semi cooked and cooked mushrooms. Amazing innovation, technique and taste.

With this course we were served a beautiful bread roll and rich french butter that was scooped like ice cream from a big container and put onto a serving block of granite.

The next course was probably my favourite savoury course. A perfectly poached fat and juicy WA marron tail served with a rich luxurious brown butter emulsion that was truly decadent and you could feel the future heart attack but didn't care (as Maya exclaimed that she wanted to eat so much that it would replace her blood). It was accompanied with a beef tongue sandwich which was also fantastic. Eaten with your fingers it gave the impression of old school decadence and extravagance.

The next dish was probably one of the more expensive and decadent dishes. A slow cooked duck egg yolk and a celeriac puree replacing the yolk. mixed with lamb sweetbreads, pickled onions and a generous shaving of white truffles done at the table. The duck egg was slow cooked and amazing with the yolk that burst and was a bright orange. The white truffles smelled great as they were being shaved and added a rich woody flavour to the dish.

In between the entree courses and the mains, we were treated to a palate cleanser. This was the most fun and interactive dish. A mix of mini herbs served with a small bowl. The herbs were covered in liquid nitrogen until it become frozen and we were instructed to crush the herbs with the provided pestle. Once they had been sufficiently smashed we were provided a scoop of cucumber sorbet and told to mix the herbs and sorbet until it formed a paste. The modern technique and molecular gastronomy was outstanding but the flavour matched this dazzling display of theatre and technique.

The first main course was a dish of rabbit cooked in a variety of different ways using a variety of cuts of the rabbit. Served with a white asparagus stalk covered in a batter and a smoked potato puree. It was a great dish and delicious different types of rabbit perfectly cooked and the asparagus spear covered in batter was amazing.

The next main course was the fish course. A firm piece of Trumpeter fish (or Strumpet fish for Lyd) served with a herb emulsion, shaved prawn and a foam and tiny flowers. It was also accompanied with a smoked bone marrow stock that was served at the table by owner Shannon Bennett in a special guest appearance.

The final savour course was an amazing combo of wagyu beef in four small cubes that was perfectly cooked to medium rare, maybe slightly closer to rare. Melting and full beef flavour with perfect Wagyu marbling. Combined with a sliver of chestnut, wild garlic and a tiny piece of glace cherry, it was a simple dish that was presented elegantly and allowed the flavours to shine through.

After a small break after the main course, we were served some white chocolate and coconut balls. Smooth and creamy with a generous servce of coconut on top, they were bitesize mouthfuls of awesomeness.

 

We were then served the first desert course - a deconstructed lemon meringue pie. Having tried a deconstructed lemon meringue pie at the Summit the week before the contrast in presentation, technique and flavour was very noticeable. (I still loved the dish at the Summit). Blobs of meringue lightly toasted, with lemon curd and biscuit and white chocolate crumble. Amazingly bold and great flavours. Loved It!!

The next dish was an unusual combo of blobs of carrot, pineapple and a sorbet of carrot top. This was probably my least favourite dish but still had great flavours and technique. But there was something missing from this dish that would elevate it to the level of the other dishes.

The final dish was actually my favourite dish overall and was so simple but so perfectly done that it was incredible. A chocolate souffle that was so light that it felt like air, topped with a dark chocolate sauce and a creme anglais. Retained perfect form once cut and the creme poured through the dish and the taste was amazing.

The meal was finished off with petit fours and i choose to have some tea to finish the meal and possibly keep me awake for the journey home. Four different small dishes consisting of a lemon sherbet jelly, a peppermint marshmallow, frozen ice cream with a crumb topping on a stick and a lamington with a cherry blob on top. I had a special treat for my birthday with the petit fours being served on a plate with a birthday message written in white chocolate. Great flavours especially the lemon sherbet and a great way to finish the meal.

12 Courses of fantastic food, service that exceeded the high expectation i had and a quality fit out and amazing views of Melbourne. Given the price it is definitely not for everyday but with the amount of time taken, food and alcohol consumed and the opulence and decadence of the evening you probably wouldn't want to. But a memorable big occasion decision and a great night out celebrating my birthday with friends. Amazing quality of food and the whole experience, especially the private dining and private chef, wait staff and host, is enough to lift this restaurant to this top of my list.