13th October 2012
With the Melbourne Marathon the next day, i was staying in the city and had a full day with no plans so i decided to have a big lunch before having carbo heavy snacks and food and drinks for dinner. After getting into the city about 2 and checking in, i needed a restaurant that was open all day Saturday. With limited choice i still decided on one of my favourites in Movida.
There was a reasonable amount of people in the restaurant for 330pm on a Saturday but nothing like the 3 month waiting list for the premium slots on a Saturday night. I was shown to a seat at the bar and offered a drink. I settled on the idea of having one beer and then water and went for a Moritz lager from a small list of Spanish influenced wines and beers but with some french and Australian wines.
I decided on two tapas and one raciones and a desert. As well as the normal menu they had a number of specials, of which i ended up ordering one tapa and one raciones. I started with the special of rich pheasant terrine encased in a crisp crouton shell and served with a beautifully sweet sherry puree and some pickled onions. Great combos of the rich earthy terrine and sweeter fresher elements.
The next tapa was one of my favourites from a previous visit to the various Movida establishments, the Pollo Escabache Al Miguel. Chicken smothered and marinated in a spicy mayo like sauce and sandwiched between two crisp crouton pieces to make a beautiful dish that will remain a favourite and a recommendation for anyone who goes to Movida.
We then moved on to the raciones which i decided on a special of confit rabbit leg which had been deboned and placed in a ceramic bowl and combined with whole almonds, carrots and a beautiful rich and decadent jus. Wonderfully cooked rabbit that was so moist and the bold rich flavours were definitely a winner. One special that i wouldn't mind being made a permanent dish.
I thought about another racione but decided that with the marathon the next day i decided to just go for desert. I went with the Pan con Chocolate, rich dense chocolate parfait between 2 pieces of toasted brioche and combined with a olive oil sorbet. Great balance and flavours and a worthy finish.
After this visit Movida still remains one of my favourite restaurants with a great vibe, good service and wonderful food that borders the line between innovative, homely and sophisticated. As last time the prices range from $5 per tapa item up to $20 for the bigger raciones but overall the cost is very reasonable and the bill was well under $100. Movida remains a top quality draw as a restaurant and well worth a visit.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Steer
5th October 2012
After heading out to Vue De Monde last year for my birthday dinner, i decided to head out for another extravagant dinner to celebrate my birthday. I settled on a place that i had yet to go to and had received a Hat in the latest Good Food Guide 2013, Steer. Steer, as the name suggests, was focused on beef and was a throwback to the great traditions of New York steakhouses but with some modern touches and embellishments.
After arriving early to catch up with Joe, my brother, we were escorted upstairs to the separate bar. Located in the Olsen hotel, the dining room had a dark modern feel with modern art hanging and lots of glass and black fittings. The restaurant was punctuated with a black wooden Steer to meet you at the door. The upstairs bar had a separate feel and also headed out to the hotel.
After selecting 2 beers (budvar) from the extensive and varied list, we settled down into some stools and had a chat whilst everyone else arrived. After a few arrived we were moved down to our table. Our table was located at the back of the restaurant and slightly secluded from the rest with the wine cellar to one side. Wood tables and wooden block holding our ornate cutlery (including a very nice steak knife) and matching well with the ultimate steakhouse theme.
After everyone had arrived and was seated we were instructed to flip our place mat by our charming, confident and quirky waitress to show our menu for the evening. Unfortunately with the size of our booking, we were forced to pre select only three dishes from a range of 10 entrees and five mains. We were also offered in advance the choice between 2 or 3 course which i opted for 2 and left desert up to individual dinners. This was a slightly disappointing draw back.
With the entrees, i selected for the 3 options - a Crisp Calamari and Pork Belly, hummus, dukkah and pomegranate; Buffalo Ricotta Gnudi and Miso Roast Scallops, pork crackling, Japanese spices and daikon. I went with the Crisp Calamari and Pork belly. Perfectly fried pieces of calamari and fatty cubes of pork belly with great flavour and texture were perfectly matched with the smoky hummus, nutty dukkah and contrasted by the sweet pomegranate seeds.
For main everyone had the choice of 3 dishes being a Scotch Fillet, Eye Fillet or Market Fish with werribee artichoke barigoule and asparagus. The steaks were served with roast bone marrow and spring salad. Everyone ordered a steak and forgo the market fish but i had previous organised with the staff for a special bday steak, a David Blackmore 900g Wagyu Rib Eye steak served on the bone (for a proposed supplement of $109 - however they only charged an additional $30 bringing the total to $109). The meat was magnificent - ridiculously smooth, silky and buttery, perfectly cooked with a pink inside and a slightly charred outside with nice grill marks criss-crossing the meat. Was also a massive cut of meat and i was definitely not hungry afterwards. Would have been worth the exorbitant price quoted but for the lower price was a steal.
As part of the 2 course menu offer, the steak was also accompanied by a number of sides - Steak chips, salad, spring greens, Asparagus and the best of the bunch Onion rings. The chips and salad were great but the standout were the extra crisp batter and great flavour of the onion rings. A must for anyone who ventures to Steer.
We then moved onto the important decision of the evening. Must to the horror of my brother, i declared that yes i would like the desert menu (after demolishing the 900g steak). As this was not part of the set menu we were offered the full desert list. The deserts also stuck to the new york style theme with a version of Reece's peanut butter cup, donuts, new york cheesecake, bombe Alaska and my desert - a Strawberry Bakewell Tart / Ice Cream Sundae.
Two deserts in one, with a slice of moist bakewell tart with a layer of strawberry jam running through the middle. Accompanying this was three scoops of ice cream and this was accompanied by meringue blobs, strawberries, strawberry gel and square blocks of chocolate fudge. Decadent, beautiful (presented on a wooden board shown half eaten below), full of flavour this was a great desert and was well worth stuffing down after steak.
Overall a fantastic night out with great company and superb food. A real focus on quality produce and ingredients, especially the steak, but with some quality and refinement in the dishes. The cost of the meal varied on the quality and expense of the steak chosen but the other items were very reasonably priced ($79 for 2 courses and extensive sides - Entrees $14, sides $8 and deserts $12 on al a carte menu) and you would never complain about portion size or not being full at the end of the meal. For an amazing steak and some outstanding cooking i would fully recommend a trip to Steer.
After heading out to Vue De Monde last year for my birthday dinner, i decided to head out for another extravagant dinner to celebrate my birthday. I settled on a place that i had yet to go to and had received a Hat in the latest Good Food Guide 2013, Steer. Steer, as the name suggests, was focused on beef and was a throwback to the great traditions of New York steakhouses but with some modern touches and embellishments.
After arriving early to catch up with Joe, my brother, we were escorted upstairs to the separate bar. Located in the Olsen hotel, the dining room had a dark modern feel with modern art hanging and lots of glass and black fittings. The restaurant was punctuated with a black wooden Steer to meet you at the door. The upstairs bar had a separate feel and also headed out to the hotel.
After selecting 2 beers (budvar) from the extensive and varied list, we settled down into some stools and had a chat whilst everyone else arrived. After a few arrived we were moved down to our table. Our table was located at the back of the restaurant and slightly secluded from the rest with the wine cellar to one side. Wood tables and wooden block holding our ornate cutlery (including a very nice steak knife) and matching well with the ultimate steakhouse theme.
After everyone had arrived and was seated we were instructed to flip our place mat by our charming, confident and quirky waitress to show our menu for the evening. Unfortunately with the size of our booking, we were forced to pre select only three dishes from a range of 10 entrees and five mains. We were also offered in advance the choice between 2 or 3 course which i opted for 2 and left desert up to individual dinners. This was a slightly disappointing draw back.
With the entrees, i selected for the 3 options - a Crisp Calamari and Pork Belly, hummus, dukkah and pomegranate; Buffalo Ricotta Gnudi and Miso Roast Scallops, pork crackling, Japanese spices and daikon. I went with the Crisp Calamari and Pork belly. Perfectly fried pieces of calamari and fatty cubes of pork belly with great flavour and texture were perfectly matched with the smoky hummus, nutty dukkah and contrasted by the sweet pomegranate seeds.
For main everyone had the choice of 3 dishes being a Scotch Fillet, Eye Fillet or Market Fish with werribee artichoke barigoule and asparagus. The steaks were served with roast bone marrow and spring salad. Everyone ordered a steak and forgo the market fish but i had previous organised with the staff for a special bday steak, a David Blackmore 900g Wagyu Rib Eye steak served on the bone (for a proposed supplement of $109 - however they only charged an additional $30 bringing the total to $109). The meat was magnificent - ridiculously smooth, silky and buttery, perfectly cooked with a pink inside and a slightly charred outside with nice grill marks criss-crossing the meat. Was also a massive cut of meat and i was definitely not hungry afterwards. Would have been worth the exorbitant price quoted but for the lower price was a steal.
We then moved onto the important decision of the evening. Must to the horror of my brother, i declared that yes i would like the desert menu (after demolishing the 900g steak). As this was not part of the set menu we were offered the full desert list. The deserts also stuck to the new york style theme with a version of Reece's peanut butter cup, donuts, new york cheesecake, bombe Alaska and my desert - a Strawberry Bakewell Tart / Ice Cream Sundae.
Two deserts in one, with a slice of moist bakewell tart with a layer of strawberry jam running through the middle. Accompanying this was three scoops of ice cream and this was accompanied by meringue blobs, strawberries, strawberry gel and square blocks of chocolate fudge. Decadent, beautiful (presented on a wooden board shown half eaten below), full of flavour this was a great desert and was well worth stuffing down after steak.
Overall a fantastic night out with great company and superb food. A real focus on quality produce and ingredients, especially the steak, but with some quality and refinement in the dishes. The cost of the meal varied on the quality and expense of the steak chosen but the other items were very reasonably priced ($79 for 2 courses and extensive sides - Entrees $14, sides $8 and deserts $12 on al a carte menu) and you would never complain about portion size or not being full at the end of the meal. For an amazing steak and some outstanding cooking i would fully recommend a trip to Steer.
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