Overall Restaurant List

After 60 Restaurants and just under $7,500 spent i have finally completed my list. Here is my overall ranking. Except for the last 3 restaurants, i would fully recommend going to all of these even those ranked on the low end. However these are my opinions based on my overall experience incorporating food, service and drinks.

1	Vue Du Monde
2	Jacques Reymond
3	MoMo
4	Verge
5	Attica
6	Cutler & Co
7	Flower Drum
8	Grossi Florentino
9	The Point
10	MoVida
11	Circa The Prince
12	Donovans
13	Stokehouse
14	Ezard
15	Matteo's
16	Pearl
17	Café Di Stasio
18	Rockpool
19	Bistro Vue
20	Press Club
21	Golden Fields
22	Mercer's
23	Embrasse
24	Longrain
25	Cumulus Inc
26	Bistro Guillaume
27	Cecconi's
28	Maze
29	PM24
30	Shoya
31	Koots Salle a Manger
32	MoVida Aqui
33	Yu-u
34	Sarti
35	Taxi
36	David's
37	Comme Kitchen
38	Tempura Hajime
39	Church St. Enoteca
40	Spice Temple
41	The Grand
42	Bacash
43	The Italian
44	Sapore
45	Coda
46	Centonove
47	Esposito
48	Cicciolina
49	Gil's Diner
50	Il Bacaro
51	Paladarr
52	Maha
53	Abla's
54	Livingroom
55	Ladro
56	Estivo
57	Balzari
58	Becco
59	Melbourne Wine Room
60	Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons

Celebrity / Chef Sitings

Just a few of the celebrities and chef that i saw, met or spoke to during my tour of the restaurants.

• Robbie Keane (Former Ireland Soccer Captain)
• David Beckham
• Neil Perry (Rockpool)
• Shannon Bennett (Vue Du Monde)
• Stephen Mercer (Mercer's)
• George Calombaris (Press Club)
• Ben Shewry (Attica)
• Jake Nicolsen (Circa The Prince)

Best Petit Fours

The little bit extra after the meal to finish off a memorable meal with some sweet and delicious as the final thought on the restaurant.

1. Vue Du Monde - Lemon Sherbet Jelly, Peppermint Marshmallow, Crumbed Ice Cream and Lamington with Cherry Jel
2. Jacques Reymond - Churros Royale with dark chocolate sauce, hazelnut fudge, fruit jelly, a crisp pistachio and lime macaroon and praline truffle
3. Attica - Pukeko Eggs (White Chocolate eggs filled with salted caramel)
4. Cutler & Co. - Chocolate Fudge with black salt
5. Vue Du Monde - White Chocolate and Coconut balls
6. Cicciolina - Chocolate, Almond and Orange Truffle
7. Maze - White Chocolate filled with Strawberry Ice Cream
8. Embrasse - Salted Dark Caramel
9. MoMo - Florentine, Turkish Delight and Walnut bread with coffee mousse
10. PM24 - Strawberry French Marshmallow
Honorable Mention:- Candy Corn

Best Degustation Menus

The best combination of dishes and expertise in matching and following on with dishes and obviously the quality of the food itself.

1. Jacques Reymond
2. Vue Du Monde
3. MoMo
4. Verge
5. Grossi Florentino
6. Flower Drum
7. Attica
8. Ezard
9. Matteo's
10. Mercer's

Best Service

A secondary part of the overall experience is the service. Great food is one thing but if it is ot served efficiently with a smile that could be the thing you remember rather than how good the food was. The best service and wait staff i experienced in my list. A combination of both quality and expertise at job and also the ability to effectively engage clientele.

1. Vue Du Monde
2. Jacques Reymond
3. Attica
4. MoMo
5. Bistro Guillaume
6. Grossi Florentino
7. Flower Drum
8. Circa the Prince
9. Ezard
10. Cutler & Co.

Top 10 Sharing Food Restaurants

The best restaurants for going with a group of friends and sharing dishes. I would be more than happy to the top 7 with a big group again.

1. MoVida / MoVida Aqui
2. Press Club
3. Golden Fields
4. Longrain
5. Cumulus Inc.
6. David's
7. Spice Temple
8. Paladarr
9. Coda
10. Abla's

Top 10 Deserts

List Number 3 consists of the Top 10 Deserts

1. Vue Du Monde - Chocolate Souffle
2. Bistro Guillaume - Raspberry Macaroon
3. Vue Du Monde - Deconstructed Lemon Meringue Pie
4. Cutler & Co. - Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich, Vanilla Parfait and Salted Caramel
5. PM24 - Pistachio Souffle
6. Embrasse - Forest Scene
7. Attica - Franz Josef
8. Rockpool - Choc Jaffa Mousse
9. Comme - White Chocolate Mousse with salted caramel in a white chocolate cylinder served with mandarin ice cream and cocoa soil
10. Cicciolina - Peanut, Popcorn and Toffee clusters with salted caramel ice cream and Valrhona chocolate sauce
Honorable Mentions:-

• Coda - Raspberry Parfait with chocolate ball, white chocolate mousse and caramelised almonds
• Donovan's - Chocolate and Hazelnut Ice Cream Bombe Alaska
• Maze - Maze 'Lamington'
• Circa The Prince - Queen of Puddings
• Stokehouse - Ice Cream Bombe

Top 10 Main Courses

List Number 2 is on to the main courses.

1. MoMo - Duck Bisteeya with lime and cabbage salad with a side of whipped cream potatoes with french butter and pine nuts.
2. Vue Du Monde - Wagyu beef, chestnut, wild garlic and cherry
3. Jacques Reymond - Rabbit, Crispy Squid, spice walnuts, compressed apple and sherry vinaigrette
4. Verge - Dory with mustard seeds and lotus roots
5. Jacques Reymond - Wagyu beef, black truffle, ketchup sorbet and egg white omelet
6. Grossi Florentino - Lobster ravioli, pea puree, caviar and burnt butter sauce
7. Cutler & Co. - Slow roasted chicken breast, pancetta, peas, lettuce and pine nuts
8. Flower Drum - Wagyu beef with Szechuan sauce, Chinese vegetables with fried rice
9. Koots Salle a Manger - Rabbit Saddle, grilled polenta, black trumpet mushroom and fresh fig.
10. Donovan's- Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Honorable Mentions:-

• Flower Drum - Peking Duck
• Longrain - Egg Net filled with pork, prawns, peanuts with caramelised coconut with cucumber relish
• Grossi Florentino - Wagyu rump cap on a bed of diced potato, pickled veal tongue, salsa verde and fennel soil
• Mercer's - Herb crusted beef tenderloin with mini sliced vegetables with ox cheek and fennel sausage with red wine jus.
• PM24 - Malawi rotisserie chicken with roast vegetables.
• Ezard - Szechuan duck with chili and oyster sauce on a bed of coconut cream rice
• Verge - Pressed duck, melon, turnip, radishes and olive oil broth

Top 10 Entrees

With the list finally complete i will be running through some of my highlights from the list with a series of Top 10 lists over the next few days culminating in the overall list and then a list of restaurants i still want to try in 2012.

First of all is a list of my top 10 favourite entree / amuse bouche courses.

1. Vue Du Monde - Marron Tail, Brown Butter Emulsion and Beef Tongue Sandwich
2. Attica - Meat from Pearl Oyster
3. Jacques Reymond - Pork in Masterstock, fresh paperdelle with wasabi espuna and ponzu juices
4. Ezard - Crab Dumplings in a Tom Kha Broth with salmon roe
5. Golden Fields - Lobster Roll
6. Vue Du Monde - Pine Mushrooms, Walnuts, Bird's Cress and Cona Infusion
7. Circa the Prince - Chestnut Soup, Ham Hock and artichoke chips
8. Jacques Reymond - Tea Smoked Chicken and watercress soup, potato foam and tempura wakame oyster
9. Spice Temple - Caramelised Pork Spare Ribs
10. Cutler & Co. - Crayfish, Serrano Ham, Watercress Puree and Compressed apple.
Honourable mentions:-

• Mercer's - Salmon and Crab Roll
• Vue Du Monde - Crispy Eel, White Chocolate & Caviar
• MoVida Aqui - Grilled Calamari Sandwich
• MoVida - Bomba

Shoya

19th November 2011

The final restaurant has arrived and was completed with a trip to Shoya on a Monday night. A multi floor restaurant with different sections within the restaurant offering different eating and entertainment option. I was shown to my seat at the Sushi bar where i had a view of the chefs as they prepared the fish.

Reasonable dark with a heavy wood theme and calligraphy on the wall. After being seated i was offered a drink which i chose Sapporo and then had a run through of the menus. There was a degustation menu with several different options including a tasting option where u selected your own menu from the degustation options and the a la carte menu.

I went for the Chef's Omakase $120 option. Offering 12 different courses it was a long procession of food that was explained in great detail and in respectful and quiet tones by the waiting staff (except for desert).

We started off with a Salmon Carpaccio that was amazingly thinly sliced and cured served with salmon roe, black truffle, sour plum sauce and Wasabi mousse. Excellent combos of flavours and textures and a great opener.

The next dish was Kingyo. Served on a spoon it was one bit of chicken mince with plum and a sweet glace. Good flavours and good presentation and served very hot.

The next dish was also served in an interesting manner in an oyster shell and consisted of diced awabi and combined with monk fish liver and topped with home made cream cheese. The fish and livers was rich and tasty and contrasted well by the soft cream cheese.

The next 2 dishes were too of the most elaborately presented dish i have seen. The first being the Hatching Ocean egg. First a plate was put down with a salt holder that was for the egg. Then a wooden box was brought out with hay and a egg inside that was taken out with the waiter putting on white gloves to handle the food and placed on the salt holder. The taste was also excellent as inside the cracked egg was a steamed savoury egg custard with black truffle, spinach puree and a small piece of tempura scampi.

The next dish took it up another level with the Assortment of sashimi course. A square bowl filled with ice had a big glass bowl on top at a 45 degree angle filled with delicate, thinly sliced fish and vegetables. The fish was of sensational quality and the soy sauce and fresh wasabi was an excellent addition.

Moving on to the next course was the start of the more substantial course with a beef spinach roll. An ox tongue wrapped with spinach souffle and served with beans and pink peppercorn. The beef was very good and worked well with the light but flavourful spinach. (although this dish was difficult to eat with chopsticks).

The next dish was proclaimed as the waiter's favourite and consisted of a whole spider crab leg with half of the leg exposed and deep fried in tempura batter and the other half with the shell still attached that required breaking. A light and delicious tempura batter and beautiful crab meat inside it was a very quality dish.

After the crab leg we had a dish that was not on the original menu and was a palate cleanser of Japanese sorbet infused with bitter orange and topped with caviar. It did indeed clean the palate and itself had a great flavour of orange that did not overpower.

The next dish was a soup of snapper and thin rice noodles with salmon roe with the snapper broth poured at the table. Rich decadent and full of flavour it was a great dish.

The final 3 savoury items on the menu came out together with a medium rare Wagyu rib eye steak (although it was a bit closer to rare than would be perfectly cooked) and dressed with black truffle, shitake miso sauce and an egg quiche. This was served with mixed rice and a miso soup. The flavours of the beef and nutty black truffle and the sauce worked together well. Not so sure about the quiche and the rice was fluffy and perfectly cooked and had real ingredients and flavour. Miso soup is not really my thing but this was pleasing and didn't have a bitter overpowering fish stock flavour of other soups.

The final item was the desert plate. Featuring 3 different deserts but surprisingly not featuring the flowery and elaborate descriptions of previous courses i was left to guess the exact desert included. A black sesame mousse with green tea powder, chocolate cake topped with a chocolate mousse and a cheesecake with a flavour i couldn't put my finger one but was still very decent. Good flavours although nothing to rival the elaborate cooking and presentation of the savoury dishes.

Overall this restaurant was the best Japanese place i have visited and favourite Japanese restaurant in Melbourne. The presentation of the dishes and quality service was top notch with my preference against Japanese food keeping this restaurant from ranking highly in my rankings but good enough for the top half. If you love Japanese food then this place would definitely be for you. Although the food was not cheap the amount of courses and quality of the fish and dishes was evident throughout and combined with the skill of the chef it led to a memorable evening and a good way to finish my list.

Bonus Item - Rock pool Part 2

13th December 2011

As Christmas approaches i received an invitation to a fund manager Christmas lunch with Zurich at Rockpool for both me and Greg.

Having arrived at the main reception area for Rockpool, we were shown through to a private section of the restaurant with 2 long tables. On each place was the menu for our lunch. As we had a specially booked group, we were given a choice of 4 entrees, 3 mains and 4 deserts rather than the full menu. We also were offered the option of tea, coffee and Candy Corn at the end.

After much deliberation, i decided to ignore the voice telling me to not have a meat dish followed by another meat dish and went for a starter of Wagyu Bolognaise with hand cut fettuccine. Velvety smooth pasta and a rich bolognaise with quality meat and covered in freshly shaved Parmesan.

My main course was a Slow roasted sirloin with modern Bearnaise sauce. Combined with sides of Potato and Cabbage gratin, mixed greens and salad and a selection of sauces. The meat was perfectly cooked and beautifully pink and the Bearnaise was great. The sides were also top quality with the potato and cabbage gratin of superb quality with a crisp crust on top.

For desert we had a dark chocolate pudding with chocolate sorbet. A dark chocolate pastry shell with a dark chocolate mousse like pudding and a crisp chocolate top that was topped with some salt and on the side a scoop of rich chocolate sorbet sitting on top of chocolate crumbs. The contrast of salt and sweet chocolate was incredible and the flavours were outstanding. Whilst people rave about the fresh produce and entrees and mains, it has been the two deserts i have had at Rockpool that have blown me away.

After that i finished with a pot of tea. Served in a clear tea pot and cup it was pretty cool and the tea was good. This was also combined with a few glasses filled with Candy Corn. Soft and a nice caramel outside it was it was amazing popcorn.

Overall was extremely happy to give Rockpool a second chance, with the wine flowing and quality food. Thank you to Joe and the Zurich team for the invite and Neil Perry (who was at Rockpool that day) for the quality restaurant and food. A great way to celebrate Christmas.

Longrain

10th December 2011

On a Saturday night i headed into the city to complete the penultimate item on my list and had dinner at Longrain. Heading in at 6pm i was expecting a wait in the queue for a later time but to my surprise (and some of the staff) the restaurant was only half full although it would still be almost full by 7pm. Moving into a dark, dimly lit dining room i was greeted by pleasant staff and invited to take a seat at the bar (although the long share tables were free). Part restaurant and part club and cocktail bar space, i was greeted with three menus as i sat down - a one page specials menu, a 2 page regular dinner menu and an extensive cocktail and drinks menu.

Looking through the drinks list i settled on a cocktail called Rose Porteous. A very Asian inspired cocktail with smashed watermelon and some herbs. It had good flavours and wasn't ridiculously potent.

For the food i decided on 2 main course dishes and the waiter suggested that i have half serves of these dishes. Normally i would not be phased by the large portions but went with his advise. I was reasonably glad i did as the portion sizes were very substantial (even the half serve) and i definitely wouldn't have had room for desert. On a small note the second main course came out before i had finished the first which was a little disappointing but it did not get too cold before i moved on to it.

The first course i had was the Egg Net. Cooked egg woven into the shape of a net and filled completely with a mix of bamboo shoots, pork, plump prawns, peanuts and chewy delicious caramelised coconut with a reasonable but not overpowering hit of chili and a cucumber relish to cool it off. Bold flavours, ample portion size and quality ingredients this was a winner.

The next up was the Wagyu beef stir fried with snake beans & caramelised chili. Big flat pieces of stir fried beef with a thick sauce and a very decent chili hit and served with a side of fluffy white rice. Quality ingredients and cooking.

I also had a second cocktail with this course which was a Turkish Martini. Filled with rose water syrup and containing white chocolate liquor and infused vodka it was quality but not quite as good as at MoMo.

The final part of my dinner was desert and consisted of a Taro and Coconut pudding which was rich and dense and full of flavour and topped off a healthy serve of palm sugar ice cream. Bold flavours that worked well together and made for a surprisingly quality desert.

Overall the food, cocktails and overall atmosphere and service was all top notch. Definitely preferred this Thai restaurant to Paladarr and the top Thai restaurant in Melbourne i have been to.

Cutler & Co

5th December 2011

Due to the Christmas season, my 58th restaurant and final 2 hat restaurant changed it's normal opening times and was open on a Monday. I decided to take advantage of this extra day of business and head out for dinner to Cutler & Co. Evidently other people decided it would be a good idea to as the restaurant was pretty packed, including 4 men who rocked up about 830 from the L.A. Galaxy including Robbie Keane and David Beckham.

After an initial wait for my table in the bar, i was ushered into a cool and hip dining room with wooden tables, modern lighting and bare walls. After being seated i was offered the drinks list and the menu. The drinks list was reasonably long and offered a full bar with a mix of wine, beer and cocktails and spirits. The wait staff explained the various different elements of the menu, including the degustation menu and the option to have a selection of entrees.

I decided against the degustation menu, as there was a cheese course and a couple of the options didn't seem to grab me. Instead i went for the normal 3 course option. However before any of the courses were presented i was offered a choice of bread between sourdough and rye. I went with sourdough which was served warm and was crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. It was served with pink salt and a rich creamy and light and fluffy butter.

The first course was an entree of Wood grilled crayfish with Serrano ham draped over the top with a watercress puree and tiny cubes of cold apple gel. Great contrasts of flavours, texture and beautifully cooked and presented. Crayfish was perfectly cooked, soft and tender and complemented by the ham.

We then had a free appetiser of ocean trout en croute. A crisp bread with a beautiful piece of ocean trout topped with a a horseradish cream, caviar and pickled onion. A little too much horseradish cream was the tiniest bit overpowering but everything else was perfect.

On to the main course, was a dish of slow cooked chicken breast that was dense, moist and shaped into rectangle blocks. Two blocks of chicken breasts covered with very crisp pancetta combined with pine nuts and a cream cheese blob.
Combined with a mini cook pot of peas, lettuce and carrot in a rich jus with a nice foam on top. The rich and warm soup of vegetables was delicious. It worked great as a separate dish but wasn't an amazing complement to the main dish which was also outstanding on its own.

However the desert was a piece of pure magic. A pool of salted caramel, two layers of chocolate filled with a vanilla parfait and topped off with chocolate ice cream. Decadent full of flavour and just a sensational dish.

After desert, when i requested the bill it came with a little petit fours of chocolate fudge with a few crumbs of black salt embedded in it. Not a normal combination but it worked magnificently and the contrast between the sweet and salty flavours was great.

Overall the food was both superbly executed and surprisingly big on portions. Somehow flirted between technical mastery and homely cooking and was presented with flair and style. Service was great and the room was too cool for school but everything about the evening was theatre but with substance to back it up. Quality from start to finish and well worthy of the 2 hats and a place in my top 10.

Tempura Hajime

1st December 2011

On a Thursday night i drew one step closer to completing the list with a visit to number 57 (3 left to go) and headed to South Melbourne in a strange part of town to house a hat restaurant. On a business and house area and locate as part of the office complex was a small one room restaurant with only space for 13 people sitting on chairs around a wooden bar facing the chef as he prepared the tempura dishes in from of us in a restaurant aptly named Tempura Hajime.

The drinks list and menu presented after i took the final seat around the bar were both small. The drinks menu featured one page of red and white wines, sakes and beer and other drinks whilst the food offered three options - the tempura set or the tempura & sushi set (either 7 piece tempura or 10 piece tempura).

I went with the 7 piece tempura and sushi set and ordered a Sapporo beer. The first dishes to appear were the sashimi and an entree of satay chicken. The sashimi consisted of kingfish, ocean trout sprinkled in rock salt and a third fish covered with a red plum sauce. Firm and flavourful fish, it was perfectly presented and executed.

The satay chicken was a very small, delicate and beautiful dish of three small thinly slices chicken breast pieces served in a giant bowl on a bed of thinly slices cucumber and a rich but non spicy satay sauce. Great flavours.

Next up was the tempura. A procession of 7 different tempura dishes with a beautiful outer tempura batter and cooking that brought out the full flavours of each dish. A mix of meat and vegetable tempura served with lemon and salt and also soy sauce for dipping each offer a different experience. Dishes of Sweetcorn, prawn, sweet potato, eel tempura (not battered but served with its own marinade & wasabi), scallop with sea urchin filling, King George whiting and finally a mushroom filled with crab meat. A great exhibition of technique and flavour with my favourite surprisingly being the sweet potato.

This was followed by the sushi platter. Multiple different types of fish and one wagyu beef sitting on individual beds of rice with a subtle amount of wasabi mixed in between. They were served with a hand roll and an egg omelet with the restaurant symbol branded into the outside. Quality flavours and expert preparation and attention to detail.

The final part to the meal was desert. A simple dish of yogurt panna cotta served with cointreau and muscatels finished off the meal with aplomb and whilst simple had good flavours and worked well together.

Whilst Japanese may still not be my favourite type of cuisine i can appreciate now the clarity of flavour it allows for and the immense technique and skill involved. This place whilst simple in appearance offered a high level of complex and flavourful food. Decent value with the long procession of dishes and high quality fish and ingredients being offered for $85.

Attica

26th November 2011

Having booked to go to this restaurant a few months ago with Em and Lyd, the date finally arrived when it got to finish off all of the three hat restaurants on my list. Compared to the other 3 hat restaurants this was more hip, experimental and new restaurant with a darker edgier feel.

Having previously heard service was once patchy and not up to the standard of the food or other high class restaurants, we were pleasantly surprised with the easy charm and quality of the service, even being offered for us to use the existing napkins to dry ourselves (after coming in on a pouring and dismal Melbourne Saturday night) and provided with fresh ones. They were involved and clearly cared about the restaurant, vision of the chef and the dining experience. (although some of the descriptions of various parts of the dining experience were overly elaborate).

We settled into our dark and moody dining room with dark walls and modern art and photos adorning the walls. A bar in the middle and a separate dining area just separated by glass windows and doors were the only features in a dining room that would be described a minimalist. The tables were close together but not cramped as i had heard from some people. The room and table setting were not the same quality as the other 3 hat restaurants but were a significant upgrade from reports from previous years.

We ordered a bottle of wine to share which was reasonably priced although slightly on the expensive side from the extensive but not encyclopedic wine list and moved straight onto the food. Not that you had much to choose from with an eight course tasting menu the only option on a Saturday night. Me and Lyd decided to have a look at the menu but Em decided to leave every dish a surprise until it was presented by the wait staff.

This was a menu that aspired to delight and push boundaries whereas Vue Du Monde and Jacques Reymond were relatively restrained and old school in terms of food. The menu provided little indication of the elaborate sophisticated and involved nature of every detail of the dish. Presented beautifully and with a specific purpose often the theatre and presentation of the dish was more a part of the dish than the taste and flavours.

We were offered some warm bread with an olive oil emulsion and house made rich creamy french butter. Very good quality.

Before the first of the 8 courses were presented, we were offered an appetiser. Crystal bay prawns with thin slices of radish with mustard seeds and an Jerusalem artichoke reduction. Fresh, light and amazing flavour it was a great way to start the meal and provide an insight into the culinary aspiration in store.

The first course was a long term signature of Attica, the snow crab. A dish of crab, salmon roe, puffed rice, barberry, verjuice and freeze dried coconut all covered in a horseradish snow that melted in the mouth (like a spoon full of icing sugar). Amazing presentation and a work of art and for the most part great flavours but at times the horseradish snow was a bit too much and threatened to overpower the other flavours.

Onto the second course we went and a dish of marron, leek and native pepper. Tiny circles of leek covered in a mustard oil and beautifully cooked tiny portions of marron tail (one of my and top restaurants favourite ingredients). Combined with a mussel and prosciutto stock poured at the table, he rich fat marron tail was perfectly cooked and the other flavours complemented it well.

The next dish was also one of the most well known and involves the transformation of the simple potato into a elegant dish. The 'simple potato cooked in the earth it was grown' has an elaborate name and equally elaborate cooking process (5+ hours) to make it deliciously creamy and soft. Combined with a bed of goat's cheese that had been sprinkled with a series of soils and ashs, it was an amazing complex dish that showed the masterful technique and willingness to experiment. However the flavours for us were a little bland and despite it being a well cooked and brought together dish, the dish was still just a potato.

The next dish however was a great triumph. Meat from the pearl oyster was a great dish. Exquisitely cooked meat that was neither too spongy or crunchy and had great flavour. Combined with a slab of dense rich and fatty pork with shaved radish, it was great combo of flavours and textures.

The next dish however was one of my favourites. A perfectly cooked vibrant egg yolk that was gooey and runny combined with almond and garlic burnt brown butter chips, baked celeriac, a cream of Pyengana cheese and globe artichokes. It was a bit of a mess at the end but the flavours were great and the chips were my favourite part (although not to Lyd's liking).

The final savoury dish was a beef tongue that looked more like rib eye covered in a mix of herbs and combined with a parsnip puree, parsnips and onions and flattened crunchy wagyu beef. The quality of the beef was amazing as well as the cooking and the combination with the vegetables were great.

The first desert was a dish called The Franz Josef named after the glacier in New Zealand and designed to look like it as well. A dish of coconut ash, caramelised mango, kiwi fruit ice, avocado and mint puree and eggless coconut meringue. Amazing quality of dish and the presentation and thought gone into it was outstanding and the taste of the dish was outrageously good. A dish that exemplifies everything that this restaurant is about.

The final dish was called the 'Native Fruits of Australia' a combination of a variety different berries and fruits with various flavour, tastes and textures combined with a sheep's milk yogurt, macadamia crumble and currant granita. The berries offered a wide variety and some were great and some were not to my taste and one had a very leathery texture but the yogurt and the granita were exemplary.

Lyd and Em decided to go for coffees to finish and whilst these were being prepared we were presented with a nest of edible Pukeko eggs. Wonderfully presented but the white chocolate eggs (painted to look like real birds eggs) and filled with salted caramel made us completely forget about any of the history and beautiful presentation and focus on the amazing flavours.

A meal that pushes the boundaries and senses whilst reaching amazing heights and quality with some dishes but falling short of the immense expectations both created by its reputation and the presentation of the meal. This was a dinner that delighted and strived for greatness whilst leaving some of the risk free perfection of Vue Du Monde and Jacques Reymond by the wayside. The service was first class and the quality of the evening was great. Definitely a top 5 restaurant, however with some further polish this place could reach the heights of number 1.

Bistro Guillaume

24th November 2011

On a reasonably sunny and pleasant Thursday afternoon, i headed into the city to complete number 55 off my list with dinner at Bistro Guillaume. Shown to my seat in the outside area by a genuine french waitress i received the menu and wine list promptly (I ordered a glass of Sancerre - reasonably priced) and the efficient and quickly service proceeded from there, although there was some friendly banter between wait staff and guests especially the main waitress in the area.

I decided to forgo the entree and went straight for the plat du jour which was on a Thursday the Duck Parmentier and also accompanied it with a side of Paris mash. Very quickly after it had been ordered the meal came out. Plated up on a tile slate with a copper pot holding the duck parmentier and a small salad on the side. The mash was also presented in a stylish but homely manner in a miniature casserole dish.

The confit duck was rich and beautifully dense and had great flavour covered with a little layer of potato and a good layer of breadcrumbs. Excellent flavours and combined with the smooth rich and creamy Paris mash it was a great and homely dish with a little touch of flair.

I moved on to desert and this came out even quicker after ordering than the main course (although it did not require any cooking). I went with the raspberry macaroon. 2 giant macaroon discs filled a raspberry sorbet, a whit chocolate creme filling and fresh raspberries and surrounded by a pool of raspberry coulis. It was substantial, perfectly executed and one of my favourite deserts so far.

Overall very satisfying and homely french comfort food with touches of flair, class and technique throw in. The service was good and reasonably friendly and personable but the express style meal (40 minutes from start to finish) made it seem like they wanted to turn around your table - even though the restaurant was only 3/4 full. The price was decent value if a tad on the expensive side but there was undoubted quality in the dishes.

Flower Drum

14th November 2011

On a Monday night i headed in to the city for dinner at one of the bigger names left on my list, Flower Drum. Heading in to the main foyer i was greeted by 2 staff and ushered to the lift which slowly took us up to the main dining room. A decadent and opulent dining room with plush red carpet, Chinese art and a big Chinese centre piece doorway in the middle of the dining room.

Very busy (especially for a Monday night) the meal took a while to get going. After being seated and having my chair pushed in (also happened after i returned from the bathroom), i ordered a Singapore Sling from their extensive drink list featuring wine, cocktails, spirits and beer.

The menu was then presented and explained well by the attentive staff including the 2 banquets and some additional specials. I went with the Chef's 6 course banquet (which actually featured 7 courses).

The first course was 3 delicately battered, amazingly flaky king George whiting fillets accompanied by fresh lemon juice and a 5 spice salt. Great texture and perfect execution, a great opening to the meal.

This was followed by a special of blue swimmer crab combined with an onion and turmeric sauce baked and served in a mud crab shell. Nice presentation inside the crab shell and served with a little salad, it was rich, creamy and flavoursome.

The next course was an old school signature of Cantonese cooking, the Quail Sang Choi Bao. A single large crunchy lettuce leaf filled with piping hot mix of quail meat, Chinese sausage, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and spring onion.
The fresh crunchy cold lettuce leaf was complemented with the soft, hot plentiful ingredients with great flavours even if it was rather messy and the filling spilled out the sides when eating (could just be that I'm a messy eater).

The first main course was a half crayfish, steamed and served in its own shell and covered with a delicate broth. Perfectly cooked crayfish and perfectly balanced with the broth that added some depth and quality of flavour to the dish.

Following this was another signature dish, Peking Duck. Satiny, smooth and rich duck with a crisp skin was rolled and served individually in paper thin pancakes, a smooth hoisin sauce and a crisp fresh cucumber. The equal of the Peking duck i had in Beijing and close to perfection.

The next dish i decided to upgrade from the regular grain fed eye fillet to the Wagyu strip loin (for an additional fee). Wagyu Strip loin served perfectly cooked with a very pink medium rare centre with a crisp, brown and lightly spiced outside served on a bed of Chinese vegetables with a szechuan sauce that offered a good chili hit.
Accompanied with a side of fried rice (not you average Chinese takeaway fried rice with plump proper prawns and real chunks of meat and perfectly cooked), it was magnificent end to the main courses.

For desert you were offered a choice of every desert except for the extremely expensive Bird's Nest Soup. I went for the seasonal special of Mango crepe. Fresh mangoes and mango pudding wrapped in a crepe and served with slices of fresh mango, mango sorbet and a mango passion fruit sauce, it was mango overload but not in a bad way. Beautiful fresh mangoes served up beautifully and the taste was amazing.

The final part of the meal was Jasmine tea and almond cookies. The cookies were beautiful and a million miles away from the stodgy cookies normally served at Chinese restaurants.

An exquisite mix of decadent food, surroundings and quality service (including the sometimes forgotten tradition of serving finger bowls with food eaten by hand) lead to a memorable dinner out and a worthy addition to my top 10 rankings.

Paladarr

11th November 2011

Number 53 on the list is now complete with dinner at Paladarr with Clare. A Thai restaurant located in Alphington on a residential street and opposite an industrial shed was an unassuming place for a hat restaurant.

A decent wine list and a reasonably small but diverse menu broken down into various sections including a monthly special dish. I went with a beer and Clare went with a great frangelico and pear cocktail.

We started with an appetiser called Miang Karm a self serve mix of chapoo leaf filled with dried shrimp, diced ginger, chili, toasted coconut, lime and a palm sugar topping sauce. Good flavours but the leaf was slightly too thick for me but the flavours worked well together and the palm sugar sauce was good.

I then went for a starter of deep fried ribbons of kangaroo fillet marinated in an oyster, fish and soy sauces with a little fresh salad and toasted macadamias. The kangaroo was rich and had good flavour but was slightly overcooked and slightly chewy. The macadamias worked well the kangaroo.

For main Clare and I shared one curry and one stir fry - the stir fry being a blue eye fillet, plump prawns, pear and mango in a red curry sauce. The blue eye fish and plump prawns were cooked perfectly and the sauce and red curry flavours were good. The curry was beef and peanut mussaman curry with fall apart beef and great flavours. Combined with some black sticky rice, rich butter fried roti, it was a good combinations of flavours.

Even though the portion sizes seemed small we were both reasonably full when we finished but decided that the coconut cream panna cotta infused with kaffir lime and lemon grass. Complemented with a tamarind sorbet, it was a great dish.

Good dishes, good service (although near the end when we wanted to pay the bill they seemed to disappear) and a good night out but it lacked some wow factor and something that elevated it to the next level. This will probably be in the bottom third of the restaurants visited.

Mercer's

6th November 2011

On a Sunday afternoon i decided to head out to Eltham for lunch at Mercer's to complete number 52 from my list. A converted weatherboard home in Eltham with polite welcoming staff and a relaxed service pace. A nice touch was Steven Mercer the head chef coming out at the end of the meal to enquire how the lunch was.

A very decent wine list and a reasonable selection by the glass was offered and offered at very reasonable prices.

After having a look at the menu, i decided to go all out and choose the 5 course degustation menu which consisted of 2 entree courses, a choice of 1 main course, a cheese course and a desert course. However before any of the courses arrived we had an appetiser of Yabi laksa bisque. Rich, velvety smooth and luxurious the yabi flavour was powerful without being too fishy and had a great flavour and smell.

The first course was a salmon and crab roll. Delicious crab stuffed inside a salmon cylinder and accompanied by 2 goat's cheese dumplings, cubed beetroot and a beetroot emulsion. Served on a slate, the presentation was amazing and the food was pretty great too. The goat's cheese dumpling was soft on the inside and had a slightly crisp outside.

The next course was the second main and was the 'Malaysian Dancing Prawns'. Prawns perfectly cooked and juicy covered in a slight chili hint sitting on a bed of fried eggplant salad and a crisp circular ring. The chili was more subtle but noticeable rather than a big hint but the flavours worked well together.

The main course was a herb crusted beef tenderloin cooked to perfection with a very pink inside and a brown outside hidden slightly by the delicious herb crust. Accompanied by mini thinly sliced vegetables and a wondrous and homely ox cheek and fennel sausage and a red wine glaze it was a winning combo and a superb display of quality produce and amazing technique.

The next course, the cheese course, was the least favourite course for me. Cheese always seems like a disappointment at a great restaurant as very little is done to it rather than presentation and doesn't show off  any of the technique. However the alpine cheese was good and presented well on a slate tile with candied walnuts (very good), walnut and quince paste (good) and walnut bread.

The final course was the desert course. Referred to as ' Le Grande Desert' it featured mini versions of all the al a carte desert served on a big plate. Featuring an apple and sultana terrine, red delicious sorbet served on a apple and cinnamon crumble, a rhubarb cheesecake, burnt butter and berry friand and a chocolate souffle. Great flavours and different elements that were all perfectly executed and had great flavour. Some of them were different and a great show of imagination whilst others were simple dishes done well.

Overall the meal was great, quality service, presentation and most importantly food made it a worthwhile trip out to Eltham. Some great courses and flavours and dishes and a menu that had been thought out and matched extremely well and then executed perfectly. It was easy why this restaurant was bestowed with a Hat.

Bonus Item - Bombay by Night

3rd November 2011

After a Thursday of work i decided to forgo cooking and decided against going to a Hat restaurant (with only 9 to go they are mostly set) and went for take away Indian at a place just down the road from work that just falls short of 1 hat and is considered one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne called Bombay by Night.

Given i just went for take away food i can not give a full and accurate assessment of the service but the restaurant itself was relatively bland (especially for an Indian restaurant) with white walls and some subtle Indian art on the walls.

The food however was anything but bland. Good quality meats and flavours in the tandoori chicken to start, chicken tikka Marsala and rice that was fluffy and not sticky or dry even after a while sitting in the car on the way home.

Accompanied with a side of keema nam with plenty of meat stuffed inside.

Good food and a cut above the normal quality of meat found in Indian restaurants but it still is just Indian food - very nice but very difficult to make extraordinary.

Sarti

1st November 2011

Less than 10 to go as i took the lovely Jess out to Sarti for dinner on Cup day (number 51). Located in a back street off Bourke street it was secluded despite being in the middle of the busiest part of the city. (I am blaming the hidden part on why we couldn't find it rather than me thinking it was off Lonsdale street). Located upstairs and with dim lighting and efficient and friendly service who were always willing to offer an opinion or a helpful comment.

The entrees rather than being proper entrees were served as the equivalent of Tapas called stuzzichini. I decided to have 2 of the stuzzichini - the wild duck and provolone polpette with a pistachio crumb (Jess also had this) and the wallaby carpaccio, roasted macadamia nuts and wattleseed oil.
The wild duck polpette was rich dark and had good flavour and was well complemented by the pistachio crumb . The Wallaby carpaccio was very thinly sliced and the rich meat was very lean with a healthy sprinkling of toasted, delicious macadamia nuts.

For main course i went for the braised veal cheeks sitting on a bed of purple cauliflower cous cous and black rice with a prosciutto consomme poured over the top. The veal cheeks were perfectly cooked and fell apart with the slightest touch and the consomme was rich and delicious. The only down point being that the cous cous and rice were not very substantial and were drowned out slightly by the consomme.
Jess went for the calabrian pasta e fagioli - short spaghetti covered with beans and served with a side of chili. Rich warm and very tasty without a reasonable hit of chili it worked well and was a decent size.

For desert i went with the pistachio panna cotta with a generous side of salted caramel popcorn. The panna cotta was very nice and had a strong pistachio flavour and the crunchy popcorn was a good complement and a worthy addition on its own.
Jess, choose the torta al cioccolato which came out slightly different from a regular chocolate tarte. Served with a big ball of orange ice cream and broken off chocolate pieces and a crumbs of both chocolate and orange it looked a good dish and the combo of the orange ice cream and chocolate bits were great. The limited description on the menu was an unfortunate mistake given certain allergies.

Overall however the food was very good and reasonably priced. Service was good, helpful and involved without being over the top. Also given we came at a relatively late booking, we were one of the last tables to leave the restaurant but didn't feel pressured into leaving.

Embrasse

30th October 2011

Number 50 off the list!! On a Sunday night i decided to head out with a friend on a spur of the moment decision to Embrasse to complete the 50th restaurant of my list. Located in Carlton slightly away from the main shopping and restaurant areas was a old converted house with a plain black and white fit out but with some elegant touches - chandeliers and draped curtains.

I was offered a decent wine list that broke the wines down into Old World or Australian and had a small selection of wines by the glass with a decent range of prices that flirted with a slightly higher range than similar restaurants. After selecting a beer to start (from 3 choices) and a pinot gris with the main course, i was offered the menus by the attentive polite but restrained wait staff and explained the different choices.

I went for the 5 course degustation which offered no options and was at the discretion of the chef but with your option to discuss like or dislikes. There was also an a la carte menu. Before any of the courses were served i was offered a choice of olive bread or smoked wheat bread. I went with the smoked wheat bread which was served warm with a slightly smoked flavour and accompanied with french butter and served served on their own tiles.

Also before the main courses came out a pre dinner appetiser was served. Served on a wooden tray were two spoons, one containing a artichoke puree with hazelnut and small cubes of beetroot and the other an asparagus puree with pickled wombok and black sesame. Fresh and delicious flavours and a good start and great way to build towards the actual courses.

All the dishes were beautifully presented with a variety of different techniques on display especially desert.
The first course was a dish of onion and green and white asparagus cooked in a variety of way including an onion jus and complemented by a Camembert foam. Surprisingly with a dish with so much onion it did not overpower the other flavours and it was well balanced with a variety of different textures and flavours.

The second course was a seafood dish with a yabi tail, crystal bay prawns and a razor clam sitting on a cauliflower puree with a heart of cucumber, carrot jus and a single large circular potato. Quality seafood and a perfectly balanced dish with subtle and complementary flavours that worked well together.

After the seafood dish came a palate cleanser. A rhubarb granita which had a rhubarb tea poured over the top at the table. Sweet, fresh and delicious and cleansed the palate well for the next course.

The next course was a thick square piece of pork belly with maple syrup glace combined with a series of purees and gels of pumpkin, burnt carrot and square pieces of melon covered in a horseradish and bamboo ash soot. The pork belly was dense and chewy with a crisp glazed top and mixed well with the fresh purees. The melon was an addition that the dish could have done without and it was a mismatch with the other flavours.

The final savoury course was a Wagyu rump cap marinaded in a squid ink so the outside was completely black and covered with a crush bread crumbs. It was matched with a crisp outside and soft inside of potato croquette, an asparagus puree, spear and gel and a rice gel. Well cooked meat that was still very pink on the inside and the potato croquette was magnificent.

The desert course was named 'Forest Scene' and if you ever have it you could tell why. Chocolate leaves, a white chocolate branch, mint and wood sorrel granita soil, chocolate gateau crumbs and to finish it off a mushroom consisting of a chocolate and hazelnut parfait for the cup and a french hard meringue stalk. Amazing presentation, a little bit of fun and some great flavours and textures throw in.

I also went for a salted dark caramel petit fours that was presented in a elaborate 'Embrasse' box mounted on a serviette. The soft caramel was decadent and tasty and a great way to finish.

The use of gels, purees and foam bought a level of sophistication and quality to the meals and boosted already quality ingredients. The presentation of the dishes was amazing and the food was nearly as good and was exemplified by the desert dish that was definitely a winner. Service was decent if a little impersonal and the value was fairly good even if the wines were marked up a little more than usual. Overall a great night out.

Yu-U

27th October 2011

As i was going to be in the city anyway for a 4km diabetes charity walk, i decided to complete another one from the list and go to Yu-u for number 49 on my list. Located on flinders lane through a single non descript door that you would believe would house a restaurant and would walk by without noticing if you didn't know it was there. However the word must have gotten out given the week long wait list and numerous people being turned away whilst i was eating.

Located in a downstairs basement the non descript outside belied the very Japanese and classy setting inside. Clean lines of wood and silver and grey along with some Japanese art and dim lighting and jazz music with some 4-6 ppl tables on the side and a private dining room but mostly there were chairs set around the grill with a tray and paper napkin in front of each.

The drinks menu was a decent selection of beers, wine and sake and the food menu consisted of 3 paper pages, one with specials, one with a series of hot and cold dishes and a yakitori menu (grilled skewers). I choose 1 cold dish and 3 hot dishes from the main menu and 2 chicken skewers.

The first dish to come out was the cold dish of king fish sashimi. Quality dense but light and fresh fish served with wasabi and a soy sauce. Great fresh tastes and a great opener to the meal.

The next to come out were the chicken skewers. One with a traditional sauce and the other with spring onion and salt. Moist chicken cooked well on the grill and good flavours.

This was followed shortly after by the fish cake tempura. A series of 10 lightly and delicately battered pieces of fish, they were exquisitely light and balanced and had great flavour.

The next dish was the most interesting combination but it did work very well. Braised pork belly smothered in melted cheese and sitting in a mirin and sweet soy broth. The cheese worked well with the pork belly and the slightly sweet broth cut the rich dense pork belly well.

The final course was a wagyu beef rolled around spring onion with a teriyaki marinade served on a bed of fresh Asian salad. The teriyaki beef was excellently complemented by the fresh salad. Excellent flavours and a great way to finish.

After inspecting the deserts, which consisted in true Japanese tradition of just black sesame and green tea ice creams, i choose to go somewhere else for desert. However the savoury courses were excellent and provided a chance to have a great mix of dishes at very reasonable prices. A much more authentic Japanese experience than Ocha and a slight improvement on the quality of the dishes.

Bonus Item - Number 8

27th October 2011

As a congratulations for completing my advanced diploma of financial service, my boss took me for lunch. As we were in the city for a work presentation, we decided to go to a place in South bank and decided on number 8.

After being offered some warm bread accompanied by one carrot and one eggplant puree and given the reasonably extensive wine list, we given a food menu featuring two options. There was the full al a carte menu and the lunch special which offered excellent value with 2 course and a side for less than $50.

For entree i went with the ocean trout orechiette. Well cooked  fish sitting on a bed of pasta with some melted butter running through it and a great sauce.

For main i went with a veal rib eye steak sitting on a bed of vegetables with a jus and my chosen side of whipped mash. The mash was great with smooth buttery texture and flavour and the veal rib eye was a nice cut of meat and cooked reasonably well.

A good value lunch special (even better value for me given being treated by my boss) and a solid amount and quality of options on offer. It did fall short of the level of cooking and service shown at the majority of the Italian restaurants on my list but was still an great meal and a good way to celebrate.

Cicciolina

23rd October 2011

On a very sunny and busy day in St. Kilda i headed out for lunch with an old friend to Cicciolina and to complete number 48 on my list (An even dozen to go now). With a no bookings policy i turned up at 1pm and was told there would be a 15 minute wait for a table and was asked to leave a name and return then.

After having a walk around Acland Street, we came back 15 minutes later. After entering a room with very rushed and frantic service, close tables, noisy and old school interior we were given our bread and menus. The overall service was very quick and efficient but kind of sloppy and rushed. Despite it being a Modern European restaurant the first course i choose was a very modern take on a Asian course, Chili fish cakes with a pesto mayo and slices of lemon. Served as three small balls of fishy cakes with a hint of chili and a pesto mayo sitting on a bed of lettuce and the lemon added a freshness to the dish. Basic, simplistic presentation but quality flavours.

The main course was a lamb loin with a juniper crust. Perfectly cooked lamb with a nice crust edge and very pink centre. Combined with mash and spinach and shaved beans with a sherry and bone marrow jus. After the recent high end dining experiences, the presentation and type of food was fairly basic but the flavours were good and the food didn't pretend to be anything that it wasn't. Great wholesome food with quality flavours.

The desert i choose was a bit of a sloppy mess with peanut and popcorn toffee cluster embedded into a mix of salted caramel ice cream and a valrhona chocolate sauce. The desert looked anything but pleasant but tasted amazing. The contrast of slightly salted caramel and popcorn contrasted with sweet flavours of the toffee and chocolate sauce and the mix of soft and smooth flavours matched well with the crunchy toffee.

I finished off the meal with a chocolate, almond and orange truffle. Rich and dense, the dark chocolate was slightly flavoured with a hint of almond and orange flavour. Very intense dark chocolate flavour, the truffle was great.

Good flavours, simple dishes done well with rich, bold flavours. Some of the presentation  and service left a little to be desired but the food was great. The value was pretty good as well with three courses, a truffle and a glass of wine for less than $75.

Grossi Florentino

17th October 2011

After a work presentation in the afternoon featuring Bear Grylls, i was going to be in the city anyway and decided to take that opportunity to head out for dinner at Grossi Florentino. After being let in through the big main doors and going up the stairs, we were greeted by a plethora of Italian waiters with a series of buongiornos. The upstairs dining area was filled of Italian murals on the wall, old school Italian music and the full Italian experience that screamed decadence and opulence and could have been overlooking the Tiber river or Piazza San Marco.

The service was very pleasant, punctual and efficient but was obviously designed to be old school and being there to serve you rather than interacting on a personal level. However this type of service was consistent with the type of place Grossi Florentino sets out to be.

After being seated and offered an extensive and wide ranging wine list that offered wines various sections and choices. Slightly on the pricier side that most restaurants it still offered some lower end options. After selecting a Leffe Blonde beer and a Primosic to accompany the main course (bold flavoured wine similar to a chardonnay) we were presented with the two menus (a la carte and the degustation - 8 course, 5 course and vegetarian).  I went for the 5 course degustation but given my lack of enthusiasm about Tuna the wait staff allowed me to change the tuna dish for any other antipasto or first course on the menu.

However before the first course arrived we were treated to a series of pre dinner entrees. The first up was a cigar of flaky pastry filled with a pistachio, feta and balsamic paste. Amazingly bold flavours and the crispy pastry worked well with the smooth feta in the middle.

After the first mini entree we were offered grisini and olives as well as a selection of 4 different types of breads accompanied by french butter, lardo (cured pork fat) and olive oil. They were all amazing even if i could feel my arteries clogging from this dish alone.

These were followed by another complementary dish. A chicken terrine, topped with a single quail egg and adorned with a flattened, caramelised pig cheek. The pig cheek was exquisite whilst the other two items were very good if not amazing.

The last complementary dish was a veal mousse wrapped in ox tongue, topped with black sea salt and served on a stick. Wonderfully smooth veal mousse and packed with flavour and the black sea salt lifted the flavours.

Ah we have arrived at the first course. Meant to be the Tuna Carpaccio i made the switch and choose the Black Pudding. Served as a breakfast dish at dinner the combo of the black pudding, veloute of eggs, foie gras cigar, hazelnut and bacon powder was a delightful version of the old breakfast classic and was delicious.

The second course took a slightly different tone to the previous dishes with this being light and fresh as opposed to the rich and heavy food of the rest of the meal. An octopus salad with pickled vegetables and a goat's cheese croquette. The salad was light and fresh and balanced the pickled vegetables with the perfectly cooked octopus, however the goat's cheese croquette was the real star with a crisp batter and soft goat's cheese centre with a slightly lemony flavour.

The third course went back to the rich and decadent ways of the previous dishes with a Lobster ravioli, pea puree, caviar and a burnt butter sauce. Bold partnership of rich flavours that worked brilliantly and the smell and taste of the Lobster Ravioli was sublime.

The 4th course and last savoury course was a wagyu beef rum cap (an quality cut of meat perfectly cooked with a very pink centre and darkened edge) sitting on a bed of diced potatoes and two long thin slices of pickled veal tongue and served with salsa Verde and a fennel soil. They also poured on a beef jus at the table. This was Italian cooking at its best. Simple, bold and powerful flavours done in an amazing way that made you feel warm and happy inside.

Before the final course and the desert, there was a slight delay as they prepared the Chocolate Souffle. Unfortunately this meant i had to listen to the obnoxious, bitchy and loud conversation of two men on the far side of the dining room who were rude to the staff and were irritating and discourteous to everyone else in the room, which as we had a 8pm booking was very few people apart from us at this stage.

The Souffle arrived and was accompanied with a small pot of dark chocolate and a malt ice cream. Unfortunately having been to Vue Du Monde 2 days earlier and having been served a chocolate souffle there, this one had a lot to live up to. This souffle was not as light as the one at Vue Du Monde and was more dense. The light malt ice cream did contrast the rich heavy chocolate flavours and its was very good but not on the same level as the one from Vue Du Monde (although nowhere else has come close either).

A final touch was the presentation of a printed and bound copy of the menu i had been served including the changes i had made. A nice little touch that they went to the trouble of as i was eating. The meal was great and the best Italian food eaten in Melbourne. Bold rich flavours and the 5 courses (plus extras) were more than enough to leave us full. The food, decor and service spoke of an opulence of times past  and was very professional and well done. The price ($185 for me) was too much for everyday (and with this food that may be a good thing for my waist as well) but it screamed of big occasion dinner.

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.