3rd May 2012
After doing running training for my upcoming marathon run, i headed back to the office to pick up my stuff and decided i couldn't be bothered cooking dinner and would head to a restaurant near work. Having walked past it a few times and it being in the Good Food Guide (13.5), i decided to go to Maris for diner. Located just near the corner of glenferrie road and dandenong road, a busy intersection but the restaurant itself feels a world away from the busy traffic.
The staff were very helpful, friendly and suggestive. Offered a quieter table at the back as i came in with work stuff. After taking a seat unloading my bags and other items i was offered a decent wine menu and choose a glass of pinot gris.
After the wine i was offered menu with about 5-6 options under entree, main and desert. Whilst i was selecting the food they placed a plate serving bread that was dusted with spices. The bread was served cold but was excellent. It was offered with excellent quality butter, topped with rock salt. The only problem was that both butter and bread were served cold which made spreading the butter difficult. I was also offered additional bread after entree (which i did decline).
The first course i choose was a delicious, delicately balanced dish of crisp fried calamari, chorizo, chick peas fennel and saffron sauce. Wonderfully presented and the fresh flavours of of the salad combined well with the meaty chorizo and slightly salted crisp crumbed calamari.
For main course i went with one of the signature dishes, the western plains suckling pig with crispy skin (which was extremely crisp) combined with a pumpkin cream, apple puree and balsamic dressing. I loved this dish. Crisp skin combined with dense rich flesh meat and combined well with the other ingredients.
For desert my original choice of chocolate crumble, choc mousse and honeycomb ice cream had run out, so i was forced to go for the signature dish of Vin Santo (desert wine) pannacotta, macerated figs and apricots and almond biscuit ice cream with a almond crisp. This was touted as the best desert by far by the waiter and it was very good. (Given my preference i still feel the chocolate would have been my personal favourite). Subtle but nicely flavoured pannacotta with a heap of sweet macerated fruit and a nice dollop of ice cream on top and a crisp to dip in. Very good quality.
Overall it was very decent food and the highs were quite high especially the pig. Reasonable prices and quality of food meant a good evening out. Overall probably a step off being a hat restaurant.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Papa Goose
24th April 2012
Having been passed this restaurant several times on the way to the multitude of restaurants in the Good Food Guide on Flinders Lane i had always intended to try this restaurant. However it wasn't until the suggestion of a friend that we decided to try the modern British cuisine offered at Papa Goose. With Em booking for four people, we were joined by Anja and Lyd on a blustery, rainy and cold Melbourne night.
The restaurant was split into 2 levels with a private dining room, toilet and a bar called loose goose upstairs and the main dining room downstairs. Very modern chic with a dark feel and mood lighting upstairs, Lyd and I, who arrived early headed up to the bar for a drink before the others arrived.
After our drink we headed back down to the slightly brighter dining room. We were seated at a simple wooden table and chairs that were comfortable and cosy. With everyone arrived we were offered the usual option of tap or sparkling water, which i decided tap but the girls choose sparkling ($24 for 2 reasonably big bottles).
After the opening and selection of wine from a reasonably list, both in terms of selection and price, we moved on to food. The menu was a single large page with 5-6 options under several different headings - larder, starters, mains, beef from the grill, sides and deserts. They also offered a 5 and 8 course degustation. The food itself was listed as modern British with a focus on some British game and a heavy British theme on deserts but everything else was just essentially modern food.
I decided to share an item from the larder section and a starter with em, before choosing my own main course and desert. With the larder item we choose the rabbit croquette. Rich flavouful meat with a crisp outer shell. Very nice but not amazing.
This was followed by a starter of twice cooked quail, game terrine, pistachio, watercress and baby gherkins. Nicely cooked small pieces of quail but the bones were still attached which made it fiddly to eat. The game terrine look like a cross between a sausage and black pudding and had a rich meaty flavour. The combination of the rich meat combined well with the pistachio and fresh salad but something special was missing from the dish and it barely registered as above average.
The main course i choose was a slight variation of the one on the menu as they had no pork loin but amended the dish for pork cheek. The dish featured the pork cheek, scallop, compressed apple and purees. Pork cheek was well cooked and substantial and the combination between the fatty delicious pork, caramelised scallop and fresh compressed squares of apple was good. Good quality ingredients matched with some flair and well matched together provided a good dish.
We then moved on to the deserts which were a great change and offered real quality with old fashioned British flavours done in modern ways. I choose the double decker, a playful take on the english chocolate bar. A square block with 2 different portion, one smooth and one crunchy, accompanied by a chocolate stout ice cream and sour plum. Great contrasts of flavour and the double decker was very good quality.
A decent meal out with a good premise, very decent produce and some flashes of quality cooking. However i will not be rushing back to this restaurant in the near future for an encore. Decent prices with most starters under $20, mains about $30-40 and desert about $15.
Having been passed this restaurant several times on the way to the multitude of restaurants in the Good Food Guide on Flinders Lane i had always intended to try this restaurant. However it wasn't until the suggestion of a friend that we decided to try the modern British cuisine offered at Papa Goose. With Em booking for four people, we were joined by Anja and Lyd on a blustery, rainy and cold Melbourne night.
The restaurant was split into 2 levels with a private dining room, toilet and a bar called loose goose upstairs and the main dining room downstairs. Very modern chic with a dark feel and mood lighting upstairs, Lyd and I, who arrived early headed up to the bar for a drink before the others arrived.
After our drink we headed back down to the slightly brighter dining room. We were seated at a simple wooden table and chairs that were comfortable and cosy. With everyone arrived we were offered the usual option of tap or sparkling water, which i decided tap but the girls choose sparkling ($24 for 2 reasonably big bottles).
After the opening and selection of wine from a reasonably list, both in terms of selection and price, we moved on to food. The menu was a single large page with 5-6 options under several different headings - larder, starters, mains, beef from the grill, sides and deserts. They also offered a 5 and 8 course degustation. The food itself was listed as modern British with a focus on some British game and a heavy British theme on deserts but everything else was just essentially modern food.
I decided to share an item from the larder section and a starter with em, before choosing my own main course and desert. With the larder item we choose the rabbit croquette. Rich flavouful meat with a crisp outer shell. Very nice but not amazing.
This was followed by a starter of twice cooked quail, game terrine, pistachio, watercress and baby gherkins. Nicely cooked small pieces of quail but the bones were still attached which made it fiddly to eat. The game terrine look like a cross between a sausage and black pudding and had a rich meaty flavour. The combination of the rich meat combined well with the pistachio and fresh salad but something special was missing from the dish and it barely registered as above average.
The main course i choose was a slight variation of the one on the menu as they had no pork loin but amended the dish for pork cheek. The dish featured the pork cheek, scallop, compressed apple and purees. Pork cheek was well cooked and substantial and the combination between the fatty delicious pork, caramelised scallop and fresh compressed squares of apple was good. Good quality ingredients matched with some flair and well matched together provided a good dish.
We then moved on to the deserts which were a great change and offered real quality with old fashioned British flavours done in modern ways. I choose the double decker, a playful take on the english chocolate bar. A square block with 2 different portion, one smooth and one crunchy, accompanied by a chocolate stout ice cream and sour plum. Great contrasts of flavour and the double decker was very good quality.
A decent meal out with a good premise, very decent produce and some flashes of quality cooking. However i will not be rushing back to this restaurant in the near future for an encore. Decent prices with most starters under $20, mains about $30-40 and desert about $15.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Huxtable
21st April 2012
Having traversed the city starting in Malvern, going into the city and ending up in Fitzroy, i decided to complete one of the restaurants on my 2012 list, Huxtable. Having checked the website whilst travelling i saw that they were open from midday until late. Unfortunately when i arrived (at 3pm) they stated that whilst they were open but only offered the bites menu outside lunch (12-3) and dinner hours (6-1030).
I still decided to sit down and grab a selection of bites. The bites menu had about 10 selections and the mains were broken down into sea, land and earth with about 5 options in each.There was also a set menu option for a very reasonable $50 per person. I was then offered a drinks list which was limited but decent and a couple of speciality beers on tap including the Thunder Road pale lager i choose.
I decided to have 4 different bites options.The first to come out was 2 jalapeno and cheddar croquettes. Molten cheese with a strong hint of jalapeno spice encased in a very crisp casing. Amazing flavours and contrast of textures. Amazing and a must have.
The next option was equally as must have. A slightly sweet XO bun filled with a mix of crab, jalapeno and a Thai basil mayo. Warm bun that was superb and the filling had a great flavour and a little jalapeno bite.
These first two came out very quickly and there was a short break between the first 2 and the next 2 options. The next one was a crisp filo log of lamb puttanesca with a lemon yoghurt. This had a nice lamb flavour and crisp stringy pastry. The lemon yoghurt was decent but an interesting mix with the lamb and pastry.
The final bite was a tempura eggplant prawn fritter and served with a sweet chili sauce. Served extremely hot and a good mix of prawn mixed with eggplant covered with a light tempura batter. The chili sauce was mild but decent and worked well together.
They did allow me to have the full selection of deserts. I decided on the chocolate and peanut delice (a choc and peanut set mouse in a semi circle encased in dark chocolate), with a slick of salted caramel, lines of hazelnut praline and peanuts and a chocolate sorbet. Put together in front of me, it was a work of art, looked amazing and tasted equally so.
Overall a bit disappointing that there was no mention of the limited service on the website but the bites and desert were exceptional. A bit of a mix of cuisines and a casual relaxed service and style of food but the food worked well. I would have enjoyed the full menu and may come back to try the main courses. Coming back is made more palatable given the excellent value for money. Well worth a visit and would be a great place for casual lunch or dinner with friends.
Having traversed the city starting in Malvern, going into the city and ending up in Fitzroy, i decided to complete one of the restaurants on my 2012 list, Huxtable. Having checked the website whilst travelling i saw that they were open from midday until late. Unfortunately when i arrived (at 3pm) they stated that whilst they were open but only offered the bites menu outside lunch (12-3) and dinner hours (6-1030).
I still decided to sit down and grab a selection of bites. The bites menu had about 10 selections and the mains were broken down into sea, land and earth with about 5 options in each.There was also a set menu option for a very reasonable $50 per person. I was then offered a drinks list which was limited but decent and a couple of speciality beers on tap including the Thunder Road pale lager i choose.
I decided to have 4 different bites options.The first to come out was 2 jalapeno and cheddar croquettes. Molten cheese with a strong hint of jalapeno spice encased in a very crisp casing. Amazing flavours and contrast of textures. Amazing and a must have.
The next option was equally as must have. A slightly sweet XO bun filled with a mix of crab, jalapeno and a Thai basil mayo. Warm bun that was superb and the filling had a great flavour and a little jalapeno bite.
These first two came out very quickly and there was a short break between the first 2 and the next 2 options. The next one was a crisp filo log of lamb puttanesca with a lemon yoghurt. This had a nice lamb flavour and crisp stringy pastry. The lemon yoghurt was decent but an interesting mix with the lamb and pastry.
The final bite was a tempura eggplant prawn fritter and served with a sweet chili sauce. Served extremely hot and a good mix of prawn mixed with eggplant covered with a light tempura batter. The chili sauce was mild but decent and worked well together.
They did allow me to have the full selection of deserts. I decided on the chocolate and peanut delice (a choc and peanut set mouse in a semi circle encased in dark chocolate), with a slick of salted caramel, lines of hazelnut praline and peanuts and a chocolate sorbet. Put together in front of me, it was a work of art, looked amazing and tasted equally so.
Overall a bit disappointing that there was no mention of the limited service on the website but the bites and desert were exceptional. A bit of a mix of cuisines and a casual relaxed service and style of food but the food worked well. I would have enjoyed the full menu and may come back to try the main courses. Coming back is made more palatable given the excellent value for money. Well worth a visit and would be a great place for casual lunch or dinner with friends.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Bistro Guillaume (Return Visit)
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.
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.
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.
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