29th May 2011
Am really on a roll with this being the 6th Restaurant ticked off this month and 4 in the last 11 days. Having had plans to organise a Sunday lunch at Cutler & Co thwarted by lack of interest, i instead choose to head to Taxi for lunch. Despite the worst entrance of any restaurant, the Taxi dining room located above Transport in Federation square offered a cool light filled glass exterior with a cool arty interior and beautiful views of Melbourne river and CBD.
Upon arriving i was shown to my seat facing the river towards Southbank and offered an encyclopedic wine menu and offered the services of the sommelier to help explain and match wines to the food. Despite this offer, i decided i felt like drinking beer instead.
Having heard poor reviews of the service i was intrigued by this aspect as much as the food. The service started well with a waiter who offered a menu and gave me a chance to peruse before updating me on the specials of the day. Good explanation of the specials and an attention to detail meant that i didn't understand where the complaints about a lack of quality in the service came from.
For starter i choose the sticky Pork with roasted scallops and hot chili dressing which came out very promptly after it was ordered. The pork was excellent but the scallops were truly amazing with a crisp batter over the succulent soft scallop flesh. And for once when it said hot chili you got that and it added to the flavour. Combined with a cooling salad with mint and cucumber, it was an excellent start to lunch.
Main course offered up a Crispy Szechwan duck served on a tile and arranged beautifully. The duck skin was very crispy and felt slightly caramelised but the meat inside was still tender but did not fall away from the bone as some other duck dishes have. However it was no less flavoursome and it was matched with a caramelised five spice sauce and a mint and carrot salad and segments of imperial mandarins. Normally i wouldn't like large segments of fruit on a dish but the flavours of the caramel sauce, mandarins and the duck were great so there was little complaint.
To finish things off i choose the Valrhona chocolate desert plate. I was deciding between this and the Hazelnut parfait with milk chocolate ganache & frangelico but after having explained that the chocolate plate consisted of a mini chocolate souffle, profiterole and chocolate tart i was sold on all three.
However there was a delay in the desert coming out as i was the first person of the day to order the desert plate and the souffle had to be made from scratch. As a compensation for the delay i was offered a passion fruit and coconut sorbet. Served on a oriental soup spoon it offered some refinement to presentation. Despite the coconut being overpowered by the passion fruit, the passion fruit flavour was strong and delicious but the sorbet was light and refreshing. Excellent dish and would have made a quality dessert on its own. But as a compensation it was a nice touch that meant i was again unsure about those poor service rumors.
It was further put to the test by the host arriving with a complimentary glass of Pedro Ximenez that he said would work well with the chocolate tasting plate. And it did despite the fact that Pedro Ximenez is not my favourite. Quality service and a knowledge of the tastes of dishes and matching them is what you want in a hat restaurant.
The chocolate platter came out soon after i had finished the sorbet and was also served on tile plate with the three desserts arranged in a row on a banana leaf. Quality presentation and a sense of grandeur. The first thing was to check the quality of cooking by piercing the souffle with a fork. Maintaining its position in the little copper pot i decided to really test it and leave it to the end. I then moved on to the chocolate tart. The base was slightly dry but combined with the rich chocolate tart, dark chocolate ganache and a single piece of honeycomb it was a good if not spectacular start to the dish.
Then on to the Profiteroles with a hard dark chocolate top sprinkled with chopped pistachios and filled with a coffee and chocolate cream. The pastry was excellent and the filling delicious and the quality of the chocolate on top was first rate. Excellent!
I then tackled the Souffle. Light fluffy and a quality chocolate flavour it was the masterpiece of the desert plate with both quality presentation, flavour and technique mixed in to create a wonderful dish.
Despite it not being overly cheap ($110 for three course and 2 pints of beer), the quality of the food and the service i received made for an excellent lunch and well worthy of the Hat (if not worth more). I thoroughly enjoyed the whole presentation with excellent views of Melbourne, quality dining room, presentation and most importantly quality food with only a couple of blemishes.
(Note: There is a $45 lunch set menu that i choose to forgo as the choices i wanted were not on the menu.)
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
MoVida
25th May 2011
After original plans for going to Vin Cellar fell though (closed for structural repairs) i decided to go home and not go out for dinner and save the cash for another day. However once i got home i decided with nothing really on that i would go for an extended run and found my way into the city. Along the way i decided that i would try to go to MoVida and with very little optimism i would try to get a place at the bar.
Arriving at 9, i was told there was no room currently but if i cam back at 930 they would have a space at the bar. I decided to take them up on that offer and went for a walk around the city before returning at 930. After being told it would only be a couple more minutes i did have to wait for 20 minutes as some people who were seated at the bar decided to hang around and chat well after they had finished their food and drinks. (I guess this is what happens when you turn up to a 2 Hat Restaurant with no reservation). However i was shown to a section of the bar without a chair and offered a drink (glass of reasonably priced pinot Gris that i was warned as i order was very sweet but i enjoyed immensely) in the meantime and given a 1 page menu (featuring a surprising amount of choice) to peruse so that once the seat became available i would be able to order straight away.
The atmosphere was quite warm and welcoming and moderately lively and loud. Part lounge/club and part restaurant i could understand why the people would want to hang around and just chill rather than at other restaurants and the atmosphere and vibe of the place promoted this attitude.
Once i was shown to my seat i ordered 2 tapa (individual bites) and 2 raciones (share plates). Having sat down at the same time as another gentleman who had been waiting we were told the structure of the menu and he made some recommendations of signature dishes and told us that the food had no structured order on when it would come order and would arrive when ready.
First to arrive was the Spiced chicken on crisp crouton. Two thin slices of very crisp but sturdy crouton surrounded a moist and slightly spiced chicken filling like a sandwich. Flavourful soft chicken was excellently complimented by the crisp crouton casing. A very good start to the meal and a sign of the style and flavourful food to come.
This was actually followed by one of the raciones rather than the second Tapa. This was the duck liver parfait with Pedro Ximenez foam and toasted brioche. Served on a wooden square board it was separated into 4 different sections with 2 stacks of toasted brioche in opposite corners and a square block of parfait and a spongy but solid foam in the remaining corners. Excellent presentation and even better taste. The foam had a light spongy feel and taste and completed the rich duck liver parfait and the crispy toasted brioche. Amazing flavours, textures and presentation made this my favourite dish of the night and a revelation.
Halfway through eating my second Tapa arrived. If the 2 dishes had both been warm i may have objected to this (despite being warned at the start). However the wet roast Lamb breast with fino (dry sherry) and paprika was very good and worth interrupting the previous dish for. Tender meat and good flavours with a hint of the paprika coming through.
My second raciones came soon after in the form of the big pieces of Char grilled Octopus, large circular disks of house made chorizo, crunchy chick peas and a tomato ragu sauce. It had big items and big powerful flavours that married well together to create a good dish.
I followed this up with a desert of gooey chocolate pudding with a soft casing that exposed a rich melted chocolate centre. The chocolate was of a rare quality and the flavours was ridiculously good. Combined with a vanilla ban ice cream and square chunks of pistachio nougat it was delicious and a great way to finish a meal.
I can understand why this type of way of eating and the style of the restaurant isn't for everyone but i loved everything about the presentation, choice and style of the food and the vibe of the restaurant was great. Despite the menu being only one page there were so many other dishes that i want to come back for and sample. Given the type of atmosphere people were exchanging thoughts and critiques of dishes and before you had even ordered you had a sense of what were the signature dishes and showed that the people clearly loved the food and experience being offered at Movida.
After original plans for going to Vin Cellar fell though (closed for structural repairs) i decided to go home and not go out for dinner and save the cash for another day. However once i got home i decided with nothing really on that i would go for an extended run and found my way into the city. Along the way i decided that i would try to go to MoVida and with very little optimism i would try to get a place at the bar.
Arriving at 9, i was told there was no room currently but if i cam back at 930 they would have a space at the bar. I decided to take them up on that offer and went for a walk around the city before returning at 930. After being told it would only be a couple more minutes i did have to wait for 20 minutes as some people who were seated at the bar decided to hang around and chat well after they had finished their food and drinks. (I guess this is what happens when you turn up to a 2 Hat Restaurant with no reservation). However i was shown to a section of the bar without a chair and offered a drink (glass of reasonably priced pinot Gris that i was warned as i order was very sweet but i enjoyed immensely) in the meantime and given a 1 page menu (featuring a surprising amount of choice) to peruse so that once the seat became available i would be able to order straight away.
The atmosphere was quite warm and welcoming and moderately lively and loud. Part lounge/club and part restaurant i could understand why the people would want to hang around and just chill rather than at other restaurants and the atmosphere and vibe of the place promoted this attitude.
Once i was shown to my seat i ordered 2 tapa (individual bites) and 2 raciones (share plates). Having sat down at the same time as another gentleman who had been waiting we were told the structure of the menu and he made some recommendations of signature dishes and told us that the food had no structured order on when it would come order and would arrive when ready.
First to arrive was the Spiced chicken on crisp crouton. Two thin slices of very crisp but sturdy crouton surrounded a moist and slightly spiced chicken filling like a sandwich. Flavourful soft chicken was excellently complimented by the crisp crouton casing. A very good start to the meal and a sign of the style and flavourful food to come.
This was actually followed by one of the raciones rather than the second Tapa. This was the duck liver parfait with Pedro Ximenez foam and toasted brioche. Served on a wooden square board it was separated into 4 different sections with 2 stacks of toasted brioche in opposite corners and a square block of parfait and a spongy but solid foam in the remaining corners. Excellent presentation and even better taste. The foam had a light spongy feel and taste and completed the rich duck liver parfait and the crispy toasted brioche. Amazing flavours, textures and presentation made this my favourite dish of the night and a revelation.
Halfway through eating my second Tapa arrived. If the 2 dishes had both been warm i may have objected to this (despite being warned at the start). However the wet roast Lamb breast with fino (dry sherry) and paprika was very good and worth interrupting the previous dish for. Tender meat and good flavours with a hint of the paprika coming through.
My second raciones came soon after in the form of the big pieces of Char grilled Octopus, large circular disks of house made chorizo, crunchy chick peas and a tomato ragu sauce. It had big items and big powerful flavours that married well together to create a good dish.
I followed this up with a desert of gooey chocolate pudding with a soft casing that exposed a rich melted chocolate centre. The chocolate was of a rare quality and the flavours was ridiculously good. Combined with a vanilla ban ice cream and square chunks of pistachio nougat it was delicious and a great way to finish a meal.
I can understand why this type of way of eating and the style of the restaurant isn't for everyone but i loved everything about the presentation, choice and style of the food and the vibe of the restaurant was great. Despite the menu being only one page there were so many other dishes that i want to come back for and sample. Given the type of atmosphere people were exchanging thoughts and critiques of dishes and before you had even ordered you had a sense of what were the signature dishes and showed that the people clearly loved the food and experience being offered at Movida.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Gil's Diner
21st May 2011
A last minute decision to catch up with a friend for lunch ended with me completing number 17 from my list with a visit to Gil's Diner. Down an obscure lane way entry, we entered an old bakery that had been fitted out with wooden chairs and tables and a kitchen but still kept the old feel and style of a converted factory. It maintain a cool funky vibe with classic music on vinyl playing and the vibe reminded me of Cumulus Inc. but with an old retro style rather than the clean lines of Cumulus.
After being seated we were handed a drinks menu that had a good selection of regional hip Australian beers. As it turned out the beer selection was wider than the food selection would be. After selecting a Three Troupers Pilsner our attention was turned to a school chalkboard located behind us featuring 6 or 7 dishes and we were told about 6 specials and that was the extent of the menu.
I chose the Beef Burgundy pie with chips and salad. Not exactly the description you would expect from a hat restaurant but the quality of the food more than made up for the limited choice and simplicity of the cuisine. Succulent tender large pieces of beef in a beautiful pasty casing. The chips were large and thick cut but still had a crisp outside. Combined with a mixed salad of greens and capsicum and tiny round croutons it was a step above the pie and chip fare normally eaten.
Following the main course, the desert choice was also limited with a selection of pastries, churros and cheese. My love of churros won me over and i have deliciously crispy piping hot churros generously coated in cinnamon and sugar. Accompanied by a rich dark chocolate with a hint of orange, these were truly amazing and my favourite churros i have had in Melbourne and anywhere outside of Spain.
A limited selection and simplistic menu but what was available was extremely well cooked and well worth sampling. The quality of the food was well worthy of the hat but it didn't attempt to push boundaries or go outside its comfort zone. It was also the cheapest meal on the list so far coming in at about $40.
A last minute decision to catch up with a friend for lunch ended with me completing number 17 from my list with a visit to Gil's Diner. Down an obscure lane way entry, we entered an old bakery that had been fitted out with wooden chairs and tables and a kitchen but still kept the old feel and style of a converted factory. It maintain a cool funky vibe with classic music on vinyl playing and the vibe reminded me of Cumulus Inc. but with an old retro style rather than the clean lines of Cumulus.
After being seated we were handed a drinks menu that had a good selection of regional hip Australian beers. As it turned out the beer selection was wider than the food selection would be. After selecting a Three Troupers Pilsner our attention was turned to a school chalkboard located behind us featuring 6 or 7 dishes and we were told about 6 specials and that was the extent of the menu.
I chose the Beef Burgundy pie with chips and salad. Not exactly the description you would expect from a hat restaurant but the quality of the food more than made up for the limited choice and simplicity of the cuisine. Succulent tender large pieces of beef in a beautiful pasty casing. The chips were large and thick cut but still had a crisp outside. Combined with a mixed salad of greens and capsicum and tiny round croutons it was a step above the pie and chip fare normally eaten.
Following the main course, the desert choice was also limited with a selection of pastries, churros and cheese. My love of churros won me over and i have deliciously crispy piping hot churros generously coated in cinnamon and sugar. Accompanied by a rich dark chocolate with a hint of orange, these were truly amazing and my favourite churros i have had in Melbourne and anywhere outside of Spain.
A limited selection and simplistic menu but what was available was extremely well cooked and well worth sampling. The quality of the food was well worthy of the hat but it didn't attempt to push boundaries or go outside its comfort zone. It was also the cheapest meal on the list so far coming in at about $40.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The Grand
18th May 2011.
After inviting several friends out for dinner and none replying yes, i decided to head down to The Grand by myself and get some work done whilst enjoying an amazing meal. A bland run of the mill pub from the outside in the middle of residential streets belied a grand dining room with an old feel with some new renovations and soft intimate furnishing and lighting. Given the smaller dining area it had a cozy and vibrant atmosphere and a very decent clientele given the Wednesday night dinner.
Dinner started with some cold bread and butter that was added to by a citrus and garlic infused olive oil with whole olives soaking in the mix. Very good flavours in the juice was slightly let down by having cold difficult to spread butter combined with cold bread that had wholes in it making a good spread of butter difficult.
I order a beer with dinner Budvar (my favourite beer in the world from the Czech Republic) but was told immediately that they had run out. However given the extensive beer menu (unsurprising since it is a pub but still pleasant) i was able to find another beer that i would enjoy; Hoegaarden White on tap.
I decided to skip starter and head straight for main course i choose the lamb fillet. I was informed that this dish required 1/2 hour for them to prepare and cook. However i was happy to wait for this dish as it sounded amazing and was rewarded for my patience with a dish of the highest quality. Soft delicious lamb fillet with a nice pink centre and wrapped in crispy pancetta. It was a beautiful cut of meat cooked with great technique to given the dish an amazing core flavour. Resting on a eggplant puree and served with peperonata (stewed peppers) contrasted the flavours but added another layer and combined for a wonderful dish. I also went with a side of garlic and rosemary potatoes that had a strong flavour with crisp outside and moist potato inside.
For desert i went for the Tartufo (a favourite of mine ever since first having it in Rome). A rich chocolate centre with 2 different ice cream layers surrounding the chocolate. The inside layer was a pistachio ice cream and the outer layer was white chocolate ice cream. Floating on a liquor syrup everything about this dish worked. Even given my extreme bias for chocolate based desert this was truly a master piece of a dish and my favourite desert so far.
I have nothing to fault about this restaurant and would recommend this place to friends in an instant. Quality ingredients and techniques allowed for masterful home style Italian cooking that surpassed expectations.
After inviting several friends out for dinner and none replying yes, i decided to head down to The Grand by myself and get some work done whilst enjoying an amazing meal. A bland run of the mill pub from the outside in the middle of residential streets belied a grand dining room with an old feel with some new renovations and soft intimate furnishing and lighting. Given the smaller dining area it had a cozy and vibrant atmosphere and a very decent clientele given the Wednesday night dinner.
Dinner started with some cold bread and butter that was added to by a citrus and garlic infused olive oil with whole olives soaking in the mix. Very good flavours in the juice was slightly let down by having cold difficult to spread butter combined with cold bread that had wholes in it making a good spread of butter difficult.
I order a beer with dinner Budvar (my favourite beer in the world from the Czech Republic) but was told immediately that they had run out. However given the extensive beer menu (unsurprising since it is a pub but still pleasant) i was able to find another beer that i would enjoy; Hoegaarden White on tap.
I decided to skip starter and head straight for main course i choose the lamb fillet. I was informed that this dish required 1/2 hour for them to prepare and cook. However i was happy to wait for this dish as it sounded amazing and was rewarded for my patience with a dish of the highest quality. Soft delicious lamb fillet with a nice pink centre and wrapped in crispy pancetta. It was a beautiful cut of meat cooked with great technique to given the dish an amazing core flavour. Resting on a eggplant puree and served with peperonata (stewed peppers) contrasted the flavours but added another layer and combined for a wonderful dish. I also went with a side of garlic and rosemary potatoes that had a strong flavour with crisp outside and moist potato inside.
For desert i went for the Tartufo (a favourite of mine ever since first having it in Rome). A rich chocolate centre with 2 different ice cream layers surrounding the chocolate. The inside layer was a pistachio ice cream and the outer layer was white chocolate ice cream. Floating on a liquor syrup everything about this dish worked. Even given my extreme bias for chocolate based desert this was truly a master piece of a dish and my favourite desert so far.
I have nothing to fault about this restaurant and would recommend this place to friends in an instant. Quality ingredients and techniques allowed for masterful home style Italian cooking that surpassed expectations.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Church Street Enoteca
4th May 2011
Number 15 on the list is now complete with a trip to Church Street Enoteca with my friend Clare (who herself has now been to 5 of the restaurants). Having not seen Clare in a while it was great to catch up and talk about her trip to Perth.
On church street, the restaurant was a little way from the rest of the shops and given its large dining room and fairly large clientele even on a Wednesday night was a testament to the notoriety and confidence in the food.
We were offered bread with olive oil. The bread was cold but the olive oil was great. I followed that with a starter of Guinea Fowl Ravioli with a port and orange reduction, with orange segments. Great large ravioli pasta filled with a good guinea fowl filling. The orange segments didn't really add much given it already had a strong orange flavour and the texture was strange compared to the pasta.
For main course i choose Veal Loin. A beautifully cooked piece of veal loin which a slight charred outer and peppery crust but a still pink middle. Excellent piece of meat supplement by quality cooking made for an amazing dish. Supplemented by small sauteed potatoes, beans and balsamic vinegar with chianti jus, with a slightly spicy feel and bold warm comforting flavours made the dish even better.
To finish the dish i went for desert as well. After reading some reviews of the restaurant i was excited about trying the chocolate mousse but after a brief scan of the desert menu i did not find it. (Even though it was on the website menu and seemed to be a signature dish). I instead choose the chocolate fondant with toasted marshmallow and a cinamon milk. Good gooey chocolate fondant with delcious marshmallows. The cinamon milk was amazing and had great flavours. There were some additional squares of fruit that added very little to the flavour of the dish and again was weird in texture.
Overall it was a decent restaurant that had some great dishes especially main course. But it was far from the best restaurant on the list. However it was a good night out with a friend and some good food.
Number 15 on the list is now complete with a trip to Church Street Enoteca with my friend Clare (who herself has now been to 5 of the restaurants). Having not seen Clare in a while it was great to catch up and talk about her trip to Perth.
On church street, the restaurant was a little way from the rest of the shops and given its large dining room and fairly large clientele even on a Wednesday night was a testament to the notoriety and confidence in the food.
We were offered bread with olive oil. The bread was cold but the olive oil was great. I followed that with a starter of Guinea Fowl Ravioli with a port and orange reduction, with orange segments. Great large ravioli pasta filled with a good guinea fowl filling. The orange segments didn't really add much given it already had a strong orange flavour and the texture was strange compared to the pasta.
For main course i choose Veal Loin. A beautifully cooked piece of veal loin which a slight charred outer and peppery crust but a still pink middle. Excellent piece of meat supplement by quality cooking made for an amazing dish. Supplemented by small sauteed potatoes, beans and balsamic vinegar with chianti jus, with a slightly spicy feel and bold warm comforting flavours made the dish even better.
To finish the dish i went for desert as well. After reading some reviews of the restaurant i was excited about trying the chocolate mousse but after a brief scan of the desert menu i did not find it. (Even though it was on the website menu and seemed to be a signature dish). I instead choose the chocolate fondant with toasted marshmallow and a cinamon milk. Good gooey chocolate fondant with delcious marshmallows. The cinamon milk was amazing and had great flavours. There were some additional squares of fruit that added very little to the flavour of the dish and again was weird in texture.
Overall it was a decent restaurant that had some great dishes especially main course. But it was far from the best restaurant on the list. However it was a good night out with a friend and some good food.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Pearl
27th April 2011
A glass outside which housed a funky and clean lined space that oozed upmarket class was located on a non descript part of Church street, which showed the confidence of the restaurant to rely on its food and reputation to attract customers rather than being in a prominent area.
Dinner started with a delicious large roll of warm bread sliced in quarters that was accompanied with a beautiful citrus infused oil. It was delicious, although the bread was massive and i didn't even attempt to finish it all.
This was followed by a free warm artichoke and truffle oil soup. Whilst smelling strongly of truffle oil, this warm artichoke flavour was bold and flavourful and delicious with no overpowering truffle taste that the smell would have indicated. A great touch and a great way to start the meal.
For starter i choose the white chicken and spanner crab served with Thai basil and coriander, fresh coconut and peanuts, it has a fresh bold flavour with a little bit of lime bite. Great starter that did well not to overpower the crab and chicken with the bold flavours.
The main course i decided to go with one of the specialities of the restaurant being the red duck curry. Served in small bowls it required assembly yourself, so you could adjust the flavours to your suiting. Along a decent concept given people's different tastes, i prefer when i go out to an expensive restaurant to not have to assemble to meal as if i was at home. However it was made up for by the strong bold flavours and exquisite cooking that i would have struggled to replicate at home. Duck that was perfectly cooked and fell off the bones, cooked in a bold and strongly flavoured sauce that combined well with the duck to extenuate the flavours. Combined with coconut rice, a fried egg, chili (although more than one small chili could have been provided), shallots, mint and a fish sauce, it all combined (very ugly in my case) for an amazingly complex and flavourful dish.
To complete the meal i went for another long term speciality of Pearl, the crispy taro dumplings and added a hot chocolate to complete my meal. The dumplings were 3 separate dumpling covered in a crispy outer shell and contained milk, dark and white chocolate respectively. Covered in a small amount of golf leaf and with a small amount of vanilla custard, the texture was an interesting mix of crisp outer shell combined with the gooey liquid chocolate centre. My only issue with the dish was that the dark chocolate one had a dark chocolate ball in that was a surprise given all the rest were all liquid. Whether this was by design or a slight mistake in the cooking of this one i was unsure.
The hot chocolate was velvety and rich and thoroughly enjoyable and the extra pile of milk and dark chocolate pieces and warm milk allowed you to change the flavour of the hot chocolate was given my love of chocolate and preference for richer hot chocolates was nice. (I guess this could have been said for the main but i feel that there is a difference between making your own main and adjusting the chocolateyness of your Hot Chocolate).
The overall experience of this restaurant (and it was an experience) was amazing. Quality food, bold flavours and differing textures was a great delight and the small little touches (bread and soup and iPad wine menu) made this restaurant a delight. The price was substantial but the food and service made this cost bearable and worth paying this much for the quality of food and ingredients used. Very worthy of 2 hats and a favourite of mine.
A glass outside which housed a funky and clean lined space that oozed upmarket class was located on a non descript part of Church street, which showed the confidence of the restaurant to rely on its food and reputation to attract customers rather than being in a prominent area.
Dinner started with a delicious large roll of warm bread sliced in quarters that was accompanied with a beautiful citrus infused oil. It was delicious, although the bread was massive and i didn't even attempt to finish it all.
This was followed by a free warm artichoke and truffle oil soup. Whilst smelling strongly of truffle oil, this warm artichoke flavour was bold and flavourful and delicious with no overpowering truffle taste that the smell would have indicated. A great touch and a great way to start the meal.
For starter i choose the white chicken and spanner crab served with Thai basil and coriander, fresh coconut and peanuts, it has a fresh bold flavour with a little bit of lime bite. Great starter that did well not to overpower the crab and chicken with the bold flavours.
The main course i decided to go with one of the specialities of the restaurant being the red duck curry. Served in small bowls it required assembly yourself, so you could adjust the flavours to your suiting. Along a decent concept given people's different tastes, i prefer when i go out to an expensive restaurant to not have to assemble to meal as if i was at home. However it was made up for by the strong bold flavours and exquisite cooking that i would have struggled to replicate at home. Duck that was perfectly cooked and fell off the bones, cooked in a bold and strongly flavoured sauce that combined well with the duck to extenuate the flavours. Combined with coconut rice, a fried egg, chili (although more than one small chili could have been provided), shallots, mint and a fish sauce, it all combined (very ugly in my case) for an amazingly complex and flavourful dish.
To complete the meal i went for another long term speciality of Pearl, the crispy taro dumplings and added a hot chocolate to complete my meal. The dumplings were 3 separate dumpling covered in a crispy outer shell and contained milk, dark and white chocolate respectively. Covered in a small amount of golf leaf and with a small amount of vanilla custard, the texture was an interesting mix of crisp outer shell combined with the gooey liquid chocolate centre. My only issue with the dish was that the dark chocolate one had a dark chocolate ball in that was a surprise given all the rest were all liquid. Whether this was by design or a slight mistake in the cooking of this one i was unsure.
The hot chocolate was velvety and rich and thoroughly enjoyable and the extra pile of milk and dark chocolate pieces and warm milk allowed you to change the flavour of the hot chocolate was given my love of chocolate and preference for richer hot chocolates was nice. (I guess this could have been said for the main but i feel that there is a difference between making your own main and adjusting the chocolateyness of your Hot Chocolate).
The overall experience of this restaurant (and it was an experience) was amazing. Quality food, bold flavours and differing textures was a great delight and the small little touches (bread and soup and iPad wine menu) made this restaurant a delight. The price was substantial but the food and service made this cost bearable and worth paying this much for the quality of food and ingredients used. Very worthy of 2 hats and a favourite of mine.
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