12th June 2012
After heading out for more marathon training and returning to the office to pick up some stuff i ended up being too late to go around to a friends to hand over some DVDs, so being close to 9pm and way too late to go home and cook i decided to head out for dinner. After checking they would be still open (and not too upset about having someone come in so late) i headed to Bistro Theirry for dinner.
I headed into a restaurant with dim lighting, fancy table settings and a very french themed interior and waiters with heavy french accents that felt like it could have been right on the banks of the Seine. After taking a seat looking out onto Malvern road, i was offered a wine list and 2 menus, regular and a list of specials for the day.
I selected a glass of Chablis that was very reasonably priced at $12 and the wine list was very extensive with a slight tilt towards french wine but a big mix and very reasonably priced (no massive mark ups). For the food there was a dozen options for entree and main courses. I decided given the time frame that asking for the full three courses would be a bit much and given my love of deserts i went for the main and desert option.
For main course i went with a fairly simple dish of traditional steak frites. A thick juicy and perfectly cooked eye fillet steak with a perfect pink inside and had a crust of peppercorn accompanied with the pepper sauce. Excellent sourced meat and the double pepper flavour gave it a real boldness. The thin fries were crisp on the outside and moist on this inside. I also ordered a side dish of haricots verts sautes. Sauteed green and white runner beans in a delicious mix of garlic (that could be smelt as soon as they arrived) and thinly sliced almonds, it was perfectly cooked and an excellent tradition side dish.
For desert i went with another french classic of Crepes Suzette which was a masterclass in classic french cooking. A large thin crepe folder in the middle of the plate with a perfect grand marnier and orange sauce liberally covering the crepe. Topped off with orange sorbet and to finish orange rind that had been caramelised and covered in icing sugar. Great technique and additional touches created a flawless piece of french cooking and an sumptuous desert.
With the bill (a reasonable $90 for 2 courses, a side and a glass of wine) i also received 2 complimentary dark mint chocolates. A very traditional french restaurant that sticks to tradition and creates memorable hearty french classics with some modern touches. If you are out in toorak this is well worth a visit and is up there or close to the 1 hat french restaurants.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Golden Fields - Repeat Visit
22nd May 2012
After completing some more marathon training around Albert park, i decided to not bother cooking or heading back to work to grab clothes and just try to head into St. Kilda and go to Golden Fields. Despite coming in straight from training and in shorts, they let me have a seat at the bar (just next to a table with owner Andrew McConnell).
After starting with a glass of Grenache blanc, i also received some cumin covered seeds. A very nice bottle of wine and good additional touch of the seeds.
Similar to the last time i came i decided to forgo any heavy main share dishes and have a selection of small plates. Given the limited selections involved with McConnell restaurants (Cutler & Co., Cumulus Inc. and Golden Fields) i had some duplicate dishes from the previous trip and some new dishes.
The first dish was a different dish of pork belly rolled in a thin layer of chicken with kimichi and a chili sauce. Beautifully cooked meat with full flavours and more than a hint of chili and bite. Great flavours and cooking and perfectly put together dish.
The next dish out was a favourite from last time, the Hot Lobster roll. Still amazing with a hot buttered roll filled with a generous serving of cold poached crayfish with kewpie mayo and a garnish of watercress.
After this came a dish of soft shell crab, alternating pieces of lightly battered soft flesh and crisp legs combined with a slightly spicy and slightly sweet dragon sauce and a slice of lime to splash over the top. Very nice but a little too much of the crunchy legs.
The final savoury course i choose was also a dish from the previous visit. I went with the rustic shanghai pork dumpling with chili vinegar. Beautiful fleshy pork belly stuffed in a doughy dumpling. The chili vinegar provided some bite and additional flavour and was a good dish.
For desert i went with a repeat of the previous visit with a great dish of peanut butter parfait sitting on a puddle of beautiful salted caramel topped off with a scoop of soft chocolate and some chopped peanuts. Excellent dish and one of my favourites. Superb mix of flavours and textures. I was also accompanied with a free desert wine. Surprisingly with the ingredients (peanuts) it matched very well and was more subtle, fresh and less sickly sweet than most desert wines.
Overall a great return visit with a mix of old favourite dishes and new dishes that i enjoyed. Very small amount of dishes but each one very well put together and full of flavour. Good wine list and very decent value. A favourite for a light, quick dinner.
After completing some more marathon training around Albert park, i decided to not bother cooking or heading back to work to grab clothes and just try to head into St. Kilda and go to Golden Fields. Despite coming in straight from training and in shorts, they let me have a seat at the bar (just next to a table with owner Andrew McConnell).
After starting with a glass of Grenache blanc, i also received some cumin covered seeds. A very nice bottle of wine and good additional touch of the seeds.
Similar to the last time i came i decided to forgo any heavy main share dishes and have a selection of small plates. Given the limited selections involved with McConnell restaurants (Cutler & Co., Cumulus Inc. and Golden Fields) i had some duplicate dishes from the previous trip and some new dishes.
The first dish was a different dish of pork belly rolled in a thin layer of chicken with kimichi and a chili sauce. Beautifully cooked meat with full flavours and more than a hint of chili and bite. Great flavours and cooking and perfectly put together dish.
The next dish out was a favourite from last time, the Hot Lobster roll. Still amazing with a hot buttered roll filled with a generous serving of cold poached crayfish with kewpie mayo and a garnish of watercress.
After this came a dish of soft shell crab, alternating pieces of lightly battered soft flesh and crisp legs combined with a slightly spicy and slightly sweet dragon sauce and a slice of lime to splash over the top. Very nice but a little too much of the crunchy legs.
The final savoury course i choose was also a dish from the previous visit. I went with the rustic shanghai pork dumpling with chili vinegar. Beautiful fleshy pork belly stuffed in a doughy dumpling. The chili vinegar provided some bite and additional flavour and was a good dish.
For desert i went with a repeat of the previous visit with a great dish of peanut butter parfait sitting on a puddle of beautiful salted caramel topped off with a scoop of soft chocolate and some chopped peanuts. Excellent dish and one of my favourites. Superb mix of flavours and textures. I was also accompanied with a free desert wine. Surprisingly with the ingredients (peanuts) it matched very well and was more subtle, fresh and less sickly sweet than most desert wines.
Overall a great return visit with a mix of old favourite dishes and new dishes that i enjoyed. Very small amount of dishes but each one very well put together and full of flavour. Good wine list and very decent value. A favourite for a light, quick dinner.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Maris
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)