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Fatto Bar and Cantina

30/3/2014

A beautiful Sunday and Steve and I took advantage of the weather and went al fresco for lunch.

We headed along Southbank to Fatto's where we had a table on the terrace and enjoyed the view of Melbourne's skyline.

The service was attentive throughout the meal and the welcome warm when we arrived. As the sun became stronger and Steve became warmer, we were even offered the chance to move tables so Steve could shelter his sensitive British skin in the shade and this was done smoothly and easily. Thank you for being so considerate Fatto!

There's a family style Sunday roast option that was appealing but we decided to graze through the afternoon instead starting with:

Grilled Focaccia – Tomato, White Anchovy, Guanciale
Roasted Scallops – Pancetta, Green Chilli, Cabernet Vinegar, Tomato

Some great fresh flavours here.The bite size, ok then, two bites sized focaccia had the salty and pickled flavours of the anchovy and guanciale and then some fresh fruitiness of tomato and soft chewy bread to soften the edges.

Loved the tangy vinegar accompaniment to soft sweet scallop and then the salty pancetta and a little kiss of heat from the chilli.

We tried the rabbit special which was wrapped in prosciutto and topped with a salad with some cornichons and radish. I enjoyed the meaty flavours of this. Steve found it a little chewy.

We shared a plate of prosciutto, bresaola and mozzarella which came with grissini and some pickles. The prosciutto and bresaola were top notch and great quality - flavoursome but not just about the salt. The mozzarella was clean and creamy and rounded out the intensity of the meat.

Crab Spaghettini – Lemon, Chilli, Parsley, Pangrattato
Risotto Ai Fungi - Mushrooms, Sage, Parmesan

We opted for pasta and risotto for our main courses. The crab spaghettini was heavy on the lemon, sweet with crab and the toasty breadcrumbs added a crunch and soaked up the gorgeous oils and juices. The pasta was ever so slightly overcooked though so it was a touch stuck together but the flavours were delightful.

The mushroom risotto was earthy with an unctuous texture that felt rich in the mouth but was light on the tummy.

Both were probably more entree size so either more for lunch if eaten with no other courses or do like we did with some pre pasta grazings and follow up with dessert.

Dessert for Steve was Limoncello Meringue Crostata, Passionfruit Semifreddo. It was like a lemon meringue pie and there was nothing left on the plate so has to be good.

I had the ice cream which consisted of plum, rice and stracciatella. Loved the straciatella with shards of chocolate and the rice ice cream was just like creamy vanilla really.

We enjoyed our long, leisurely lunch at Fatto, so much so that I returned later in the week with some friends for another grazing meal and was welcomed back warmly with great service and smiles. Fatto Bar & Cantina deserves to do well. It is so much better than what it was in its previous form as Trocadero.

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Mrs. Parma's

29/3/2014

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That great Aussie favourite of a "parma". Apparently also popular in Middlesbrough after a night out. A breaded chicken or veal traditionally topped with tomato sauce, ham and melted cheese. Traditionalists argue over the cheese combination and whether the ham should be shredded or a slice.

Traditional or unconventional, Mrs Parma's has a parma for everyone even a vegetarian and we found ourselves there on Saturday evening. The place was busy but after a 5 minute loiter a table in the bar area opened up and we placed our order. There's an impressive beer list again with the traditional as well as the weird and wonderful much like the parma menu. There are other food options beyond the parma too so something for everyone.

Steve went traditional and I went BBQ with bacon, BBQ sauce and onion rings and we split each one in half to share. Chips and salad also came but were shared between the table. Food was served quickly.

Dining companions Stacey and Andy went veggie and BBQ too. The size of the parma is pretty impressive. The topping to meat ration a good balance. Onion rings on the BBQ parma were crispy and non greasy so in the league of good parmas, Mrs Parma does well.

The restaurant itself is somewhat reminiscent of a UK chain pub. Stacey likened it to a Brewster's and I agree. But on a Saturday evening, when tummies are rumbling and we want something tasty, filling and satisfying requiring little thought or patience, well there's a place in the heart for places like this and Mrs Parma does this wel.

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Oriental Spoon

27/3/2014

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Thursday night post a few drinks means two tipsy girls need tasty food stat and we stumbled into the brightly lit Oriental Spoon on Elizabeth Street which had only opened earlier in the week, so we were told.

The welcome was warm and friendly. The menu isn't that big but we managed to find a couple of dishes to share.

We had the spicy rice cakes and the kim chee and bacon fried rice...carb overload. We needed some protein so ordered a tonkotsu fillet afterwards. The rice was served on a big shovel so the novelty factor was there in spades...boom!

The spicy rice cakes packed a punch and I liked the chewy texture. The fried rice was flavoursome with salty bacon and then a slight tang of kim chee. Accompanying pickles, kim chee and miso soup were pleasant enough. The tonkotsu was very thin but super crispy and just what was needed.

Oriental Spoon is the epitomy of cheap and cheerful but also satisfying and just what was needed.

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The Grain Store

16/3/2014

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Sunday morning brunch time and I'd been wanting to try the Grain Store for a while. We arrived and there was a queue and a wait but there were two comfy seats, a reading lamp and we'd brought the paper with us so happy to wait and the wait went fast.

We moved from the reading lounge to the bright, airy dining room which was reminiscent of a large country kitchen with lots of light wood and a beautiful display of cakes and muffins! The atmosphere was busy and buzzy but we were able to place our order quickly.

I ordered the Bacon Steak and Tuscan Tomato Panzanella - egg sunny side up, baked peach, vincotto, manchego, goats yoghurt.

Steve had the Pistachio and Lemon Thyme Portobello Mushroom - poached eggs, gruyere potato rösti, orange hazelnut hollandaise.

We shared sides of crispy halloumi, mushrooms and bacon. Steve wanted the bacon to go with his veggie dish. The plates were so prettily presented and they tasted so good too. The halloumi was probably a touch over done and too crispy but everything else was great including the fresh orange juice and English breakfast tea.

The Grain Store is a lovely place for breakfast, brunch, lunch and probably dinner. It's in a quiet area especially over the weekend and there's not much else there but if in search of a good brunch dish then there's no need for anything else to be there. The Grain Store is enough.

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Franco Choo's Italian Restaurant

14/3/2014

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Friday evening date night and we wanted to go somewhere fairly easy going, unpretentious, good food and that wouldn't keep us out too late. Rock n roll lifestyle!

We met there and as I entered it was dark and a small space and I struggled to spot Steve at first. It's am intimate dining space - a few small tables for two and a larger table in the window. Romantic and atmospheric, definitely a date place and we were surrounded by mainly couples.

The menu is on the blackboard and consists of a two or three entrees, two mains and two to three desserts and a couple of side dishes. We tend to eat most things so there was enough for us to choose from but I can imagine for fussier eaters it may be difficult and there was no vegetarian main so I wonder what they do in that respect.

There's an obligatory two courses as they are a small business and I guess it has to be worth their while but given the size of the courses, two courses is good.

I started with the spaghetti with Rockling, bottarga and tomato. It was a fish fragrant dish of steaming pasta that was scented with herbs and the fresh tang of tomato. The pasta was perfect; I love it al dente as served in good Italian restaurants and can never seem to recreate this at home. Delicate pieces of white fish flavoured with tomato and soaked up by pasta; this was delicious.

Steve had the prosciutto, Gorgonzola and witlof salad which was flavourful and robust start to dinner with the saltiness and intensity of prosciutto and blue cheese and then the bitterness of the salad leaves.

We ordered one of the main courses: beef and chicken like being on air plane but so much better. The beef was braised intercostal with a risotto and the chicken was served with smoked aubergine puree and a ratatouille.

We swapped plates halfway through so we could each sample both. The flavours and tenderness of the beef was incredible and then the creamy risotto made this such a dish of comfort and pleasure. The chicken dish was homely and rustic and so tasty. The beef probably edged the chicken dish slightly but both were like a hug from Nonna.

The side dish of green beans and onion was again simply cooked but delicious.

Dessert time and I went with the vanilla panna cotta with poached peach, raspberries and a basil granita. Fresh, creamy, soft, sweet and zingy. The couple seated next to us raved about the basil granita whereas I was happy with or without it.

Steve had the plum tart with hazelnut semi freddo. Baked goods like Nonna would make and the semi freddo was soft and creamy and so fragrant with toasty nutty flavours.

We loved our meal at Franco Choo's. Such a great neighbourhood restaurant that is lunderstated, unpretentious and creates platefuls of traditional, tasty goodness.

Franco Choo's Italian Restaurant on Urbanspoon

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Middle Fish

11/3/2014

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A rare weekday off and Steve and I ventured North of the city and decided to have a Thai lunch to bring some sunshine to a grey day.

Walking into Middle Fish was pleasant as it was an airy, cavernous dining room with an intricate chandelier, exposed brickwork and some steel girders. All Melbourne industrial chic meets Thailand.

We decided to order a few dishes to share:

Mussaman - Dark Ox Cheek Curry w Peanuts & Fried Shallot.

Ka Nhom Jeen - Crispy Fried Soft Shell Crab, Vermicelli Noodle with Pickles & Southern Thai Curried Fish Broth

Kha Na - Stir fry Chinese Broccoli with Chilli with Crispy Pork Belly

Kao Tom - Traditional Thai Breakfast. Brown Rice in Fragrant Chicken Broth w Shredded Chicken, Asian Herbs and a Poached Egg

The Mussaman curry was a hot - creamy and sweet with tender meat and not too heavy. The stir fry broccoli with pork belly was also tasty with a good chilli whallop.

The Kao Tom was homely and comforting - quite heavy on the white pepper and not quite the thick Chinese rice porridge I was expecting/

The crispy soft shell crab was less crispy and more a bit shrivelled and soggy. But the noodles and Thai fish broth was fresh and tangy almost lemony.

We enjoyed our meal at Middle Fish. I liked the premises. I liked the food. I liked the smiles and it's good value.

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Huxtable

10/3/2014

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Our second Melbourne Food and Wine Festival event was at Huxtable which we know and love. It was an event described as:

Owner and chef Makoto Tokuyama of Cocoro in Auckland teams up with the Daniel Wilson and the Huxtable crew to prepare a stunning seven course Japanese degustation.

Chef Makoto Tokuyama will bring his mix of contemporary and traditional Japanese cuisine from his multi award winning Auckland restaurant Cocoro to Melbourne’s Huxtable.

We arrived as everyone else did so it was busy and every space was taken. We had two seats up at the bar with a great view of all that was going on in the kitchen. There were a few tense moments like when the number of plates were miscounted and they had to plate up one more dish but most of the time, the work was churned out methodically and consistently under the expert guidance of chef Makoto and Daniel.

We started off with:
Filo wrapped Australian Tiger Prawn tempura and olive tempura, sea urchin and miso foam, dried nori seaweed, Tobiko caviar

Crunchy on the outside and meaty and dense on the inside, it was a moreish canape to start proceedings. Salty with the sea urchin sauce but sweet with prawn flavours. Thumbs up.

Next we watched the team plate up Tsukiri and Nigiri consisting of 5 elements:

Scampi with yuzu zest, salt cured Kobu seaweed
Australian Long Foot Octopus marinated with Sanbaizu vinegar, wakame, Myoga ginger
Mackerel with cucumber, lotus root chip and Morami miso
Oyster served with ponzu vinegar, Junsai water shield, Momiki-orashi and yuzu foam
Tuna "Zuke" nigiri sushi

Surprisingly the octopus was the one that most exceeded expectations. Steve usually has an aversion to octopus and squid because of the texture but this was hood. The only slight negative to this plate of stonkingly good seafood was the scampi was a little mushy in texture for my palette. I loved all the little morsels, some pickled, some sweet, some salty, all fresh.

I love chawan mushi so was looking forwad to "Chawanmushi" Spanner Crab and scallop with savory egg custard, Ikura caviar, poached Shiitake, yuzu zest, Ichiban dashi. And it did not disappoint. Hot, smooth and creamy with pops of caviar which added saltiness it was deliciously soul warming.

The cinammon-miso marinated Ora King Salmon confit and Sakura cured sashimi, dashi compressed courgette greens, poached quail egg, sweetcorn, snow pea and tendril nasturtium flower and leaf, cinammon miso sauce was also amazing, The miso sauce was reminiscent of the sweet miso used in Nobu's black cod miso but I loved this one kissed with a hint of cinammon. Loved the chargrilled sweetcorn, layering the sweetness and the teeny poached quails egge adding a yolky richniess. A beautiful dish both in appearance and flavour.

Wa fu dashi stock flavoured spaghetti alle vongole, Tassie clam and Diamond Shell, Asian mushrooms, Sansai vegetable, nori seaweed, shiso kept up the amazing standards. The plump clams were meaty and salty flavouring the pasta. I just wanted a bigger portion!

Main courses ended with the grilled Antarctic Tooth Fish "Saikyo yaki", Yakinasu grilled Asian aubergine puree, Kiname sprinkled bamboo shoots, spinach ohitashi, Gari ginger tempura ball, pickled Kabu turnip, wasabi edamame, black yuzu saikyo miso sauce, yuzu foam. Fresh and light, this fish dish was clean way to end all the main dishes.

Dessert of soy sauce ice cream and panna cotta, Valrhona Majari, raspberry, local grown fresh strawberry, green tea tempura ball, sesame tuile and praline was just amazing.

Beautifully wobbly in texture and balanced in sweetness and fruit this was gone very quickly!

Overall this was an incredible menu and no one course stood out but all were at an impeccable standard. As a menu it was perfect as the courses flowed and balanced each other. Like a well trained choir, no one voice overtook another causing dischord. Rather they all worked together to form a masterpiece. So enjoyable and so privileged to have enjoyed such harmony and delight.

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Tani

8/3/2014

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Labour Day weekend was spent in Bright and Simone's was full so we decided to try Tani. It was a warm evening so I really wanted to sit in a cool and relaxed restaurant and enjoy some fresh and exciting flavours.

I was not disappointed when shown to our table in the dining room. It was comfortable and airy and service was efficient and constant.

We decided to go with the degustation to avoid the difficulties of choosing. Steve drank wine and I enjoyed Sencha tea any my little tea pot was kept full of hot water.

Proceedings started with:

Fresh goats curd, candied olives, nasturtium, grains & seeds
Spanner crab, egg custard, marche, jamon & dried bonito

The fresh goats curd was unlike anything we'd had before for dinner. Somewhat reminiscent of muesli with crunchy bits and the occasional sweet and then salty olive it was unusual. I would definitely describe it as fresh with lots of texture and the small bowlful was enough. Pleasant and interesting but probably not something I would want to eat endlessly.

The spanner crab with blobs of egg custard was more familiar and enjoyable. Sweet crab meat, creamy egg custad and salty jamon and bonito to add flavour. Another light and welcome dish.

Harrietville trout with pickled onion, crispy kale and goats curd was possibly the dish of the night! Beautiful smoked fish with some sweet and sour notes from the veggies and creamy goats curd was flavoursome and again still felt light and bright in the mouth and the tummy,

Quail, fermented vegetables, citrus, red miso wasn't quite as good as the quail we'd had at Press Club Projects earlier in the week but to be fair it would be hard to follow that one. The quail was covered with a wombok leaf and strands of pickled, fermented veggies that had the intensity of kim chee but not the spiciness and then the sweet meat of the little bird. The volume of fermented vegetables slightly overwhelmed the quail so the full quail flavours were a little lost.

The main meat course was Sher waygu rump cap ms9+ (200g). The beef was delicious. No arguments about that - beautiful produce cooked well. The accompanying salad was not that memorable as I can't really remember what flavours or what was involved.

Dessert stuck to the lightness and freshness themes and we enjoyed shards of meringue with melon and pineapple sorbet. Fruity, zesty and tangy it was a great palette cleanser and ended things on a clean and pleasant note.

The whole menu was well put together and I entered the restaurant wanting light and fresh flavours and I definitely experienced that. Bright has a bright star for sure!

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The Press Club

4/3/2014

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As part of Melbourne Food and Wine Festival we headed to Press Club Projects which is next door to the new Press Club and is the development kitchen where fun things start...and fail!

We were a small group of 8, all seated at the workbench where we watched chef Luke Croston at work where he explained to us some of the science experiments whilst at the same time fed us with some delicious food.

First up was Tomato Water served with a fragile ice sphere that was like a hand blown glass bauble that was shattered before consumption. Cool and refreshing and seasoned with aromatics.

We started the food courses off with the simply named Basil Seed Salad which was really a salad of cheese tomato, crunchy toasted bread bits. The basil seed was a thin gel like base and the whole thing was fresh and textural.

This was followed with Freeze Dried Vegetables and John Dory. The veggies have a foam like texture and intense flavour and sweetness which was matched with a brandade of John Dory and potato. Where the Tomato Tea and salad were light and fresh, this course was intense with very savoury and salt intensive notes of flavour.

Next we headed to the strange sounding "Cheese Water, Noodles" which was a delicious cheesy broth and noodles that were made from gellified chicken stock.

Poached marron, saltwater, rice and caviar was a sublime course and the omission of abalone in its title is really an error as the abalone elevated the dish to supreme levels. The beautiful piece of marron was sweet and delicious all the way from Kangaroo Island. I wonder if it came from the marron farm we went to. The almost crunchy abalone and caviar added a salty sea flavour.

Quail with pressure cooked sesame seeds is one of the best dishes I have ever had. The boned quail was stuffed with garlic and almond meal and other delicious things. The pressure cooked sesame seeds were plump and moist forming an almost quinoa like risotta. The accompanying little dough wreath was heartwarming to eat mopping up the quail juices. Such a delight to eat and one to remember affectionately. Oh little baby bird, how delicious you were.

Steamed Wagyu, pickled Jerusalem artichokes was a rich dish packed with meatiness. The Wagyu was actually tongue which isn't my favourite texturally but I get the flavour.

We then played with some water and ice watching water that was below zero but still liquid as it was so pure, crystallise once it was agitated with an air bubble or particle. Crystallisation needs a particle before it can solidify the water even if the water is below zero.

Dessert was actually breakfast as we emptied boxes of cereals into a bowl and added water that activated the powdered milk and dissolved the spiced chocolate. The only downside to this was that the spoons were were given were not great for scooping up cereal and milk but it was a fun dessert. The orange sorbet accompaniment was delicious - citrussy and zesty. It was more my kind of dessert than the chocolate so good to have best of both worlds.

It was a thoroughly entertaining evening where we learned and tasted some really impressive things. The great thing about the concept of Press Club Projects is that it bridges that divide between diner and fine dining and makes it so much more real and clever. It takes away that shroud of mystery yet it doesn't degrade it unlike when it was revealed deep fried crispy seaweed is actually deep fried cabbage and disappointment ensued. Here, even when the mystery is taken away, there is still a sense of respect for the work and produce and it fosters and nurtures that relationship between diner and masterchef.

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Fatto Bar and Cantina

Mrs. Parma's

Oriental Spoon

The Grain Store

Franco Choo's Italian Restaurant

Middle Fish

Huxtable

Tani

The Press Club

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