6th April 2012
Before catching a flight up to Brisbane to catch up with the family over Easter, i headed into the city early before catching Sky bus to the airport. However forgetting that on Good Friday everything pretty much shuts down left me with little to do. So after looking at a couple of restaurants that i still hadn't been to yet (which were also not open), i decided to go back to a restaurant i had previously visited, Bistro Guillaume.
Located in crown, i knew that it would be open and had one of my favourite deserts from my lists (raspberry macaroon). The restaurant was fairly full despite the day and time and always seems to have a flow of people in the restaurant. After being seated i choose a Kronenborg on tap without seeing the wine list. The menu had a selection of 15 or so wines by the glass of good quality.
After being served the beer, i also received some amazing french bread served warm with a crunchy outside and soft inside and served with rich french butter and rock salt. Excellent quality.
For main course (no entree) i went with the Berkshire pork belly with lentils and tarragon vinaigrette. A big single slab of perfectly cooked pork belly with a reasonably crispy top and great flavour. Combined with the well cooked lentils and the tarragon vinaigrette provided a strong contrast to the pork belly. Accompanied with a side of fries (which i was advised i would need but probably didn't) that were crisp and very good quality.
For desert they didn't have the raspberry macaroon on the menu (i would assume it would be seasonal) so i went with the chocolate delice with hazelnut praline and coffee ice cream. The delice was good with a chocolate brownie base, chocolate mousse middle and a chocolate glaze on top. Topped with sprinklings of crush hazelnut praline and the rich coffee ice cream. Quality desert and technically perfect even if it wasn't at the heights of my preferred desert.
Again perfectly executed, assured and confident french cooking. Great dishes and very sizable portions and value with mains at low $30s and deserts at $15. I enjoyed my second visit to Bistro Guillaume nearly as much as my first.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Chester White
31st March 2012
With a busy day running around the city and heading into work to pick up some papers, i decided to reward myself by starting my journey with lunch at Chester White. Located just off the busy section of glenferrie road in Hawthorn it was very empty even for a Saturday afternoon.
Clean white and wood dining room with big glass windows with a view out onto the street. Friendly staff greeted me as i entered (although they may have just been happy that someone had come in). They offered me a reasonably good beer, wine and cocktail list. I went with the Pilsner Urquell that was served in a chilled glass. As it came out i was served with bread (cold) served in a bowl and accompanied by pink rock salt and good butter.
I decided to miss the entree and head straight to main course. The menu was decent but slightly limited and provided a selection of pizzas and 6 of each entrees and main course. I chose the wagyu rump steak (sliced, perfectly cooked, pink middle slightly charred and peppered crust) combined with a good red wine and shallot butter and hand cut chips (very big but extra crisp outside and soft inside).
After the main course i decided to have a desert of a chocolate pot with salted caramel and shortbread. Served in a glass jar with a bottom layer of gooey almost treacle like salted caramel, then a big layer of chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate shavings and cream. With a shortbread biscuit on the side, it was very decent desert.
Quality, simple food but didn't provide anything new or exciting but was well executed and offered good value with 2 beers, entree and main for less than $60.
With a busy day running around the city and heading into work to pick up some papers, i decided to reward myself by starting my journey with lunch at Chester White. Located just off the busy section of glenferrie road in Hawthorn it was very empty even for a Saturday afternoon.
Clean white and wood dining room with big glass windows with a view out onto the street. Friendly staff greeted me as i entered (although they may have just been happy that someone had come in). They offered me a reasonably good beer, wine and cocktail list. I went with the Pilsner Urquell that was served in a chilled glass. As it came out i was served with bread (cold) served in a bowl and accompanied by pink rock salt and good butter.
I decided to miss the entree and head straight to main course. The menu was decent but slightly limited and provided a selection of pizzas and 6 of each entrees and main course. I chose the wagyu rump steak (sliced, perfectly cooked, pink middle slightly charred and peppered crust) combined with a good red wine and shallot butter and hand cut chips (very big but extra crisp outside and soft inside).
After the main course i decided to have a desert of a chocolate pot with salted caramel and shortbread. Served in a glass jar with a bottom layer of gooey almost treacle like salted caramel, then a big layer of chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate shavings and cream. With a shortbread biscuit on the side, it was very decent desert.
Quality, simple food but didn't provide anything new or exciting but was well executed and offered good value with 2 beers, entree and main for less than $60.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
St. Katherine's
9th March 2012
With my friend Clare, who originally suggested going to St. Katherine's when it opened, leaving for a 6 month holiday to Europe we decided we would probably go and check it out. A group of four of us headed to the closest restaurant in the good food guide to our houses for a 8pm dinner.
Always packed and busy and noisy, the open and high ceilings of the restaurant help to create the desired atmosphere of welcoming, sharing and homeliness. The staff were friendly, playful but competent (apart from one incident where i was bumped in the shoulder by a fork as the server cleared the plates) and the overall evening was a pleasant and fun one. However if you came in expecting the quality of the Press Club you would be sorely disappointed.
Given the style of food, potions and the goal of the restaurant, it made sharing several entrees and main between the four of us. I left Clare up to deciding the majority of the dishes with only some input from me (KFC half bucket and Pork Belly with Spicy Peanut sauce) and each person was left up to their own for desert.
We decided on a selection of 3 entrees, 1 Pide and 2 mains with a side. For entrees we went with the grilled flat breads brushed with olive oil and Za'atar (middle eastern herb), Coal grilled haloumi with mint, currants, fresh apricots and pine nuts and the half bucket of KFC.
The grilled flat breads were nicely cooked, warm and well spiced. The haloumi was only slightly grilled and the salty taste of the cheese was well matched by the fresh sweet fruit and nuts. The KFC was nicely spiced and boneless and better than the 'original recipe' and was served with a spicy BBQ sauce and Japanese mayo. Delicious.
The next out was the Pide. Clare choose the mint, ricotta, haloumi and peppered figs. Good combinations but nothing spectacular flavour wise.
We had 2 main courses served at the same time with a side of rice pilaf. The rice pilaf was nicely spiced and flavoured and contained many different elements and was well cooked. The first main course was the rotisserie. As we had had chicken in the entree we decided to just go for the Lamb. However the lamb was slightly overcooked and was nothing spectacular. The second main course was also slightly disappointing. Cinnamon rubbed pork belly that had an excellent layer of crackling and the flesh was good but too much of the fat layer. It was combined with a roast peanut sauce which was good on its own but not sure about combined with the pork belly.
After the main course we all decided to forgo the option to add more savoury courses and went straight for desert. I went for one of the Mr Whippy ice creams. I went with the salted caramel (great), pomegranate brownie (delicious) and a chocolate pomegranate sauce (decent). The ice cream was better than usually Mr. Whippy but not on the level of top class restaurants. It was a decent desert but nothing fantastic. (should have gone withe the peanut butter parfait, choc sorbet, baklava crumbs and orange blossom foam).
The others all decided on the mousse and donuts. A layer of whisky jelly, choc chip mousse, chocolate shavings and topped with 2 mini jam donuts. Very nice mousse and decent donuts, it was a very good decent.
A decent restaurant that achieved great heights but had some significant let downs. Very decent value though at less than $50 each (with $50 on drinks) and pleasant service. Wont be rushing back and rushing out to recommend it but a quality local restaurant.
With my friend Clare, who originally suggested going to St. Katherine's when it opened, leaving for a 6 month holiday to Europe we decided we would probably go and check it out. A group of four of us headed to the closest restaurant in the good food guide to our houses for a 8pm dinner.
Always packed and busy and noisy, the open and high ceilings of the restaurant help to create the desired atmosphere of welcoming, sharing and homeliness. The staff were friendly, playful but competent (apart from one incident where i was bumped in the shoulder by a fork as the server cleared the plates) and the overall evening was a pleasant and fun one. However if you came in expecting the quality of the Press Club you would be sorely disappointed.
Given the style of food, potions and the goal of the restaurant, it made sharing several entrees and main between the four of us. I left Clare up to deciding the majority of the dishes with only some input from me (KFC half bucket and Pork Belly with Spicy Peanut sauce) and each person was left up to their own for desert.
We decided on a selection of 3 entrees, 1 Pide and 2 mains with a side. For entrees we went with the grilled flat breads brushed with olive oil and Za'atar (middle eastern herb), Coal grilled haloumi with mint, currants, fresh apricots and pine nuts and the half bucket of KFC.
The grilled flat breads were nicely cooked, warm and well spiced. The haloumi was only slightly grilled and the salty taste of the cheese was well matched by the fresh sweet fruit and nuts. The KFC was nicely spiced and boneless and better than the 'original recipe' and was served with a spicy BBQ sauce and Japanese mayo. Delicious.
The next out was the Pide. Clare choose the mint, ricotta, haloumi and peppered figs. Good combinations but nothing spectacular flavour wise.
We had 2 main courses served at the same time with a side of rice pilaf. The rice pilaf was nicely spiced and flavoured and contained many different elements and was well cooked. The first main course was the rotisserie. As we had had chicken in the entree we decided to just go for the Lamb. However the lamb was slightly overcooked and was nothing spectacular. The second main course was also slightly disappointing. Cinnamon rubbed pork belly that had an excellent layer of crackling and the flesh was good but too much of the fat layer. It was combined with a roast peanut sauce which was good on its own but not sure about combined with the pork belly.
After the main course we all decided to forgo the option to add more savoury courses and went straight for desert. I went for one of the Mr Whippy ice creams. I went with the salted caramel (great), pomegranate brownie (delicious) and a chocolate pomegranate sauce (decent). The ice cream was better than usually Mr. Whippy but not on the level of top class restaurants. It was a decent desert but nothing fantastic. (should have gone withe the peanut butter parfait, choc sorbet, baklava crumbs and orange blossom foam).
The others all decided on the mousse and donuts. A layer of whisky jelly, choc chip mousse, chocolate shavings and topped with 2 mini jam donuts. Very nice mousse and decent donuts, it was a very good decent.
A decent restaurant that achieved great heights but had some significant let downs. Very decent value though at less than $50 each (with $50 on drinks) and pleasant service. Wont be rushing back and rushing out to recommend it but a quality local restaurant.
Monday, March 19, 2012
French Brasserie
3rd March 2012
After having been recommended to go to the French Brasserie by a friend (Em), me and Anja decided to try it for ourselves. With the food and Wine festival happening we decided to try a special dinner evening event. After booking several months in advance, we found out that they had lost our reservation and unfortunately we would be seated outside. (especially bad given the cold and rainy Melbourne night - although there was a heater). Not a great start but they did attempt to make it up to us by giving us free drinks all night, very nice but as both of us were driving we had limited opportunity to sample. (After an Anja email they also offered for us to come back again for a free 5 course degustation for 2).
A very strange dining room and restaurant down an otherwise deserted lane way off flinders lane with a split level and very high expansive ceilings with exposed pipes and heating, a bar and a private dining area up a flight of stairs.
The service apart from the initial hiccup was familiar (somewhat overly - i don't think i have been given a massage before at a top restaurant) and efficient especially given the large amount of people taking part in the special event and all being seated and ordering the 5 course dinner at the same time. The pacing of the dinner however was extremely slow and party animal Anja was drifting off by the end due to lack of sleep the night before (or i was just really boring company). Although they did try to keep us entertained with some performer playing instruments and singing French songs.
After being told to arrive for 630 for champagne and to be seated, the first course wasn't until about 715. The first course was a thin slice of puff pastry topped with asparagus, shallots and a sweet garlic cream. Very well cooked pastry and a good fresh blend of flavours was a good start to the meal.
After that came the second course of a smocked pork hock, leek and carrot terrine accompanied by a dandelion salad and a small amount of hock broth. Very well presented and with a full flavour, there was a little too much jelly rather than meat for me.
The third course was the fish course. Consisting of a well cooked Flathead fillet sitting on a very small amount of excellent fish soup (shame there wasn't more which i mopped up with some bread) and finished off with baby carrots and potatoes and a crouton.
The last main course was a confit lamb shoulder which had been slow cooked until it had a dense fat apart meat. Topped with a citrus crust it was a great piece of cooking. Combined with potato salardaise (which was nice but not fantastic) snow pea tendrils and a lamb jus. Quality cooking that was let down slightly by some elements (potato and unnecessary snow pea tendrils).
The next course was the cheese course. Normally not the greatest fan of cheese courses at restaurants, this one did it's best to convert me. A soft cheese with strong flavour that may have been too strong on its own but was perfectly matched by poached pear in spiced syrup, beetroot dressing and brioche. A balanced flavour that match relatively ordinary ingredients and added a class to a dish.
The last course was clearly my favourite though. Named 'La fantaisie de chocolat' and it truly was a fantasy. A chocolate almond dacquoise with chocolate mousse, crystallised chocolate, frozen aero and a creme fraiche ice cream. Beautiful texturally and exquisite flavours and wonderful presentation. Anja was glad she stayed awake for this one as if she had fallen asleep i would have eaten hers as well rather than wake her up.
Overall a very good meal and apart from the major glaring hiccup in service it was a well presented and executed evening. The price was acceptable but some of the lustre was taken off the evening by the being separated from the majority of the dining room. Not my favourite French restaurant (maybe an indication is i allowed Anja to take someone else for the return) but well worth a visit.
After having been recommended to go to the French Brasserie by a friend (Em), me and Anja decided to try it for ourselves. With the food and Wine festival happening we decided to try a special dinner evening event. After booking several months in advance, we found out that they had lost our reservation and unfortunately we would be seated outside. (especially bad given the cold and rainy Melbourne night - although there was a heater). Not a great start but they did attempt to make it up to us by giving us free drinks all night, very nice but as both of us were driving we had limited opportunity to sample. (After an Anja email they also offered for us to come back again for a free 5 course degustation for 2).
A very strange dining room and restaurant down an otherwise deserted lane way off flinders lane with a split level and very high expansive ceilings with exposed pipes and heating, a bar and a private dining area up a flight of stairs.
The service apart from the initial hiccup was familiar (somewhat overly - i don't think i have been given a massage before at a top restaurant) and efficient especially given the large amount of people taking part in the special event and all being seated and ordering the 5 course dinner at the same time. The pacing of the dinner however was extremely slow and party animal Anja was drifting off by the end due to lack of sleep the night before (or i was just really boring company). Although they did try to keep us entertained with some performer playing instruments and singing French songs.
After being told to arrive for 630 for champagne and to be seated, the first course wasn't until about 715. The first course was a thin slice of puff pastry topped with asparagus, shallots and a sweet garlic cream. Very well cooked pastry and a good fresh blend of flavours was a good start to the meal.
After that came the second course of a smocked pork hock, leek and carrot terrine accompanied by a dandelion salad and a small amount of hock broth. Very well presented and with a full flavour, there was a little too much jelly rather than meat for me.
The third course was the fish course. Consisting of a well cooked Flathead fillet sitting on a very small amount of excellent fish soup (shame there wasn't more which i mopped up with some bread) and finished off with baby carrots and potatoes and a crouton.
The last main course was a confit lamb shoulder which had been slow cooked until it had a dense fat apart meat. Topped with a citrus crust it was a great piece of cooking. Combined with potato salardaise (which was nice but not fantastic) snow pea tendrils and a lamb jus. Quality cooking that was let down slightly by some elements (potato and unnecessary snow pea tendrils).
The next course was the cheese course. Normally not the greatest fan of cheese courses at restaurants, this one did it's best to convert me. A soft cheese with strong flavour that may have been too strong on its own but was perfectly matched by poached pear in spiced syrup, beetroot dressing and brioche. A balanced flavour that match relatively ordinary ingredients and added a class to a dish.
The last course was clearly my favourite though. Named 'La fantaisie de chocolat' and it truly was a fantasy. A chocolate almond dacquoise with chocolate mousse, crystallised chocolate, frozen aero and a creme fraiche ice cream. Beautiful texturally and exquisite flavours and wonderful presentation. Anja was glad she stayed awake for this one as if she had fallen asleep i would have eaten hers as well rather than wake her up.
Overall a very good meal and apart from the major glaring hiccup in service it was a well presented and executed evening. The price was acceptable but some of the lustre was taken off the evening by the being separated from the majority of the dining room. Not my favourite French restaurant (maybe an indication is i allowed Anja to take someone else for the return) but well worth a visit.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Comme Kitchen - Breakfast
2nd March 2012
Before heading in for a day of heavy metal and hard rock at Soundwave, i decided to fuel up on some decent breakfast (not likely at Soundwave) and headed for breakfast at Comme. Having already been to the restaurant for dinner i was intrigued to see if the quality translated to breakfast (although by the time i got there it was probably more brunch).
After a brief scan of the menu, i settled on the bacon and truffled scrambled eggs in a roll. Relatively crispy bacon and hot well cooked eggs with a hint of truffle giving a richer flavour. Slightly chewy bread with a crisp outside was good but not great. Great presentation rather than just all slopped into the roll, it was a quality breakfast and a good start to the day and great full for an action packed day.
Before heading in for a day of heavy metal and hard rock at Soundwave, i decided to fuel up on some decent breakfast (not likely at Soundwave) and headed for breakfast at Comme. Having already been to the restaurant for dinner i was intrigued to see if the quality translated to breakfast (although by the time i got there it was probably more brunch).
After a brief scan of the menu, i settled on the bacon and truffled scrambled eggs in a roll. Relatively crispy bacon and hot well cooked eggs with a hint of truffle giving a richer flavour. Slightly chewy bread with a crisp outside was good but not great. Great presentation rather than just all slopped into the roll, it was a quality breakfast and a good start to the day and great full for an action packed day.
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