Before heading for a friends birthday on Brunswick Street, i decided to complete my 10th Restaurant on my list with a trip to Balzari. A nondescript outside on Lygon opened up into a warm and romantic space with an open kitchen. It felt like the decor was more suited for a romantic dinner after the sun has set with low intimate lighting and a rich decor.
An extremely enthusiastic and friendly server greeted me to my seat. Starting with an extensive wine list, i choose one of the reasonably priced wines by the glass. Along with the wine, i was given a whole basket of sesame bread with some amazing oil.
I decide to go the whole experience and go for all three courses. Starting with some pasta for entree, i choose the beautifully al dente Tagliolini with some flaky spanner crab that fell apart when touched with the fork. Mixed with an understated sauce of garlic, tomato, olive oil and chili, it was beautifully cooked and full of flavour apart from the chili was almost non existent and was a bit of a disappointment.
This was followed by a main course of a rack of Berkshire pork. Beautifully cooked and deliciously fatty, it was combined with a mango puree and little cubes of mango. On a bed of orzo pasta, it was a great combo of flavours, textures and the cold cubes of mango combining with the hot pork, pasta and lukewarm puree it was a beautifully constructed dish that looked beautiful and tasted magnificent.
The next course was desert and despite the limited selected, i found a desert i would love. A dark chocolate semi freddo with a chocolate soil and almond milk and honeycomb. Amazingly presented with the different components distinct yet interwoven within the dish. Initially it had a beautiful flavour but the aftertaste left a bitter aftertaste. A disappointed ending to an otherwise good meal.
A great meal with some slight minor misses stopping it reaching a level of some of the other restaurants previously visited. Still well ahead of Giuseppe Arnaldo's but probably near the bottom of the restaurants so far.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Press Club
With my brother back from Europe and in Melbourne for a few days, i decided to treat him to lunch at the Press Club as a very belated Christmas present. After entering a very cool space with an open kitchen allowing you to see the intricate preparation involved in each dish.
After being shown to our seats, we were asked whether we prefer wine, beer and soft drink and after selecting beer, our waiter asked our beer preference and selected an appropriate beer for us. Little touches like this occurred throughout the meal and added a little extra class to the service. We were then provided with some bread (unfortunately served cold), but was well matched with some black volcano salt and some exquisite olive oil.
We settled on the Kerasma, a four course sharing menu. Starting with both the tastes and entree courses. The first we tried was the shredded meat encased in pastry with a fig puree. Amazingly strong flavours and great taste. A great way to start the dish.
Following this was the ouzo cured fish. Whilst fish is not our favourite, we felt that it would be even bland for people who liked fish. Lacking any strong flavours, it was meant to seem even more bland after the flavourful previous dish.
For main course we had 2 different dishes with the first being a beautifully cooked portion of salmon with an amazingly crispy skin. Served on a bed of potato salad with grilled vegetables. The second dish was a beautifully seasoned chicken combined with a rich and flavoured ragu and covered in a tzatziki. Amazing combo and great flavours. It was the favourite dish of the meal.
Followed as a conclusion to the meal was desert which was a chocolate parfait, with a honeycomb mix and topped with a beetroot puree. Interesting combo but somehow it worked and was a very delicious desert but not as good as soon other desert at other restaurants.
Great comfort food with special service. A couple of dishes were slightly off the mark but others were pure perfection with a great mix of comfort home cooked Greek food with some modern touches. Very worthy of 2 hats.
After being shown to our seats, we were asked whether we prefer wine, beer and soft drink and after selecting beer, our waiter asked our beer preference and selected an appropriate beer for us. Little touches like this occurred throughout the meal and added a little extra class to the service. We were then provided with some bread (unfortunately served cold), but was well matched with some black volcano salt and some exquisite olive oil.
We settled on the Kerasma, a four course sharing menu. Starting with both the tastes and entree courses. The first we tried was the shredded meat encased in pastry with a fig puree. Amazingly strong flavours and great taste. A great way to start the dish.
Following this was the ouzo cured fish. Whilst fish is not our favourite, we felt that it would be even bland for people who liked fish. Lacking any strong flavours, it was meant to seem even more bland after the flavourful previous dish.
For main course we had 2 different dishes with the first being a beautifully cooked portion of salmon with an amazingly crispy skin. Served on a bed of potato salad with grilled vegetables. The second dish was a beautifully seasoned chicken combined with a rich and flavoured ragu and covered in a tzatziki. Amazing combo and great flavours. It was the favourite dish of the meal.
Followed as a conclusion to the meal was desert which was a chocolate parfait, with a honeycomb mix and topped with a beetroot puree. Interesting combo but somehow it worked and was a very delicious desert but not as good as soon other desert at other restaurants.
Great comfort food with special service. A couple of dishes were slightly off the mark but others were pure perfection with a great mix of comfort home cooked Greek food with some modern touches. Very worthy of 2 hats.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Cumulus Inc - Bonus Breakfast
30th January 2011
Having already tried Cumulus Inc for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it, i suggested to my parents who were in town to try it for breakfast. Much to my surprise (mostly because they called me at 830 on sunday morning) and delight they invited me to join them for breakfast.
Extremely packed with a loud and noisy buzzing atmosphere and a no reservations policy, we were require to wait for a few minutes for a table to open up. My parents had already ordered coffees and were very happy with the strength and taste.
We were shown to our seats and were promptly attended to for drinks order. Despite the temperature outside i choose a hot chocolate which was rich and chocolate. My parents decided on the grapefruit juice (after having their initial choice of orange juice rejected as they had run out and explained to both of them separately due to the noise). and despite being very pleased with the taste, it was a bit disappointing for them to run out of orange juice in the middle of service.
For food i ordered the Pain d'epices. Generously spiced bread was well balanced with the whipped maple butter and candied walnuts. Amazing combinations of flavours, possibly would be too sweet for most people at breakfast but given my sweet tooth i found it delightful.
We finished off breakfast with a Madeleine filled with lemon curd for me and my mum and a large Canelle for my dad. Having rolled into 1130 we decided that this meal would now be classified as brunch and that the deserts after breakfast were more than justified.
However the first desert plate came out with 2 desert on and me and my mum assumed that these were for us, not thinking that they had taken less than the 15 minutes cooking time for the Madeleines or the shape was different from the normal shape of Madeleine. We bit into the crisp caramelised outer crust and the soft custard infused centre. After initially remarking on how little lemon taste there was and being initially disappointed, we soon overcame this and were impressed with the flavours and texture and the way it left you wanting to order another round. My mum allowed my dad the smallest of bits into what turned out to be his own desert.
About 5 minutes later (possibly about 15 mins since we ordered) we were presented with a unmistakable Madeleine shaped desert with zesty lemon oozing out. Soft perfectly cooked Madeleines with a powerful zesty lemon flavour were what we expected and realising our mistake half of one of the deserts was given to a miffed father.
Finished off with another round of hot chocolate and coffee, it was an excellent way to start a Sunday morning and worthy of the hype of the Cumulus Inc breakfast.
Having already tried Cumulus Inc for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it, i suggested to my parents who were in town to try it for breakfast. Much to my surprise (mostly because they called me at 830 on sunday morning) and delight they invited me to join them for breakfast.
Extremely packed with a loud and noisy buzzing atmosphere and a no reservations policy, we were require to wait for a few minutes for a table to open up. My parents had already ordered coffees and were very happy with the strength and taste.
We were shown to our seats and were promptly attended to for drinks order. Despite the temperature outside i choose a hot chocolate which was rich and chocolate. My parents decided on the grapefruit juice (after having their initial choice of orange juice rejected as they had run out and explained to both of them separately due to the noise). and despite being very pleased with the taste, it was a bit disappointing for them to run out of orange juice in the middle of service.
For food i ordered the Pain d'epices. Generously spiced bread was well balanced with the whipped maple butter and candied walnuts. Amazing combinations of flavours, possibly would be too sweet for most people at breakfast but given my sweet tooth i found it delightful.
We finished off breakfast with a Madeleine filled with lemon curd for me and my mum and a large Canelle for my dad. Having rolled into 1130 we decided that this meal would now be classified as brunch and that the deserts after breakfast were more than justified.
However the first desert plate came out with 2 desert on and me and my mum assumed that these were for us, not thinking that they had taken less than the 15 minutes cooking time for the Madeleines or the shape was different from the normal shape of Madeleine. We bit into the crisp caramelised outer crust and the soft custard infused centre. After initially remarking on how little lemon taste there was and being initially disappointed, we soon overcame this and were impressed with the flavours and texture and the way it left you wanting to order another round. My mum allowed my dad the smallest of bits into what turned out to be his own desert.
About 5 minutes later (possibly about 15 mins since we ordered) we were presented with a unmistakable Madeleine shaped desert with zesty lemon oozing out. Soft perfectly cooked Madeleines with a powerful zesty lemon flavour were what we expected and realising our mistake half of one of the deserts was given to a miffed father.
Finished off with another round of hot chocolate and coffee, it was an excellent way to start a Sunday morning and worthy of the hype of the Cumulus Inc breakfast.
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