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The Point at Albert Park

26/5/2013

Fancy Pants Sunday came about following Grumpy Pants Steve's 2 weeks of grumpiness! In his quest for redemption he booked at able at The Point at Albert Park. A touch more swish than our usual Sunday lunches, we enjoyed the view from our table on this grey and drizzly Sunday.

Our welcome was efficient and over the course of the meal we got to know our waiter better and he provided a personal and likeable standard of service. We started with an amuse bouche of smoked salmon with a little crumb and it was a delicious morsel.

I chose the Western Australian marron, linguine, edamame and ice plant to begin with and it was so beautifully presented. The flavours were delicate and so fresh and the colours so vibrant.

Steve started with the parsnip veloute, pine mushrooms, hazelnut and poached quail egg. Again beautifully presented, it was a good combination.

Our main courses were all about meat. I had the Yarra Valley pasture fed lamb, sweetbreads, pommes Anna and red cabbage salad. Beautiful pieces of pink lamb with crumbed morsels of sweetbread, delicious earth mushrooms and a zingy cabbage salad - it was a symphony of delight! Totally delicious.

Steve decided to go with steak and the Tasting Plate consisting of 100g Cape Grim Eye fillet, pasture fed 100g Sher F1 Wagyu Porterhouse and 350+ days grain fed 100g Hopkins River Eye Fillet 120+ days grain fed. Amazing how steak can be so different. He declared is favourite to be the Wagyu whereas when I sampled them I preferred the cleaner and leaner flavour of the Cape Grim eye fillet. Well, it seems there is a steak for everyone!

Side dishes of beef fat potatoes and brussel sprouts and bacon lardons complete the Sunday spread.

Delicious meats and delicious vegetables. Nothing really could be faulted. We were even warned in advance of the impractical plate Steve's steaks were served on so we couldn't even find fault with that!

We enjoyed a beautiful bottle of Bass Phillip Crown Prince which was so elegant and silky smooth with virtually no rough tannin. Our waiter even brought out the fancy pants decanter which required a lot of twisting and twirling! Good thing the waiter took charge because if Steve and I did it, there probably would only be half a decanter left!

We rounded off the meal with an apricot souffle with a yoghurt ice cream. I enjoyed the sweetness of the souffle and the tang of the yoghurt ice cream. It wasn't the lightest of souffles I've had and wasn't quite as good as the pistachio version at Virginia Plain but it was still pretty good.

The Point at Albert Park feels like a special occasion kind of place. Ambience is quite conservative and hence quite subdued. Possibly a touch too refined for an easy Sunday lunch every week but every girl wants a frock occasion once in a while.

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BangPop

25/5/2013

Quick revisit post following lunch on Saturday. Warm welcome, friendly staff again and this time very well informed about the food and the delights. Busier than last time which is good to see as I'd like this place to stay and do well...but not too well that I can't get a table!

Started off with something new:

Tod Mun Pla - Barramundi and red curry paste cakes w/ nam prik pla-grop

Loved the noodlebase and the fresh herbs and chilli sauce. Definitely a fiery kick there. The fishcakes themselves were nice enough but quite small so in my opinion a touch dried out and I felt I was chewing on the outside skin bit rather than the fleshy inside bit if you get what I mean. If they were bigger there would probably be better outer / inner ratio! Or maybe just have the noodle salad without the fishcakes - that would be deliciousness in itself.

We also had the sausages from last time and they were just as good. I missed not having the chicken ribs and marinated pork neck though.

Main courses were all new and we had:

Khao Mun Kai - Chicken Maryland cooked in stock w/ rice, sweet dark soy and nam jim
Gaeng Lueng Tai - Poached market fish, southern Thai style yellow curry w/
Thai basil, lime leaf and pla grop
Pad Ka-Nha Moo Krob - Crispy pork belly, chinese broccoli, oyster sauce, garlic and chilli

The chicken rice, reminiscent of Hainanese chicken rice which is one of my faves was nice enough but I've had more flavoursome with extra chilli. However I did like that the chicken was fried or baked and had crispy skin and not the usual poached. I think a chilli sambal would be great with this and raise it to being an amazing dish.

The fish curry was delicate and fragrant. Soft white fish and an aromatic broth like sauce and not quite what I thought it would be but not a bad surprise. The veggies it was cooked with vibrant and tasty too. No match to the duck curry though which remains my favourite.

The stir fried veg and pork belly, more veg than meat was really tasty though and I didn't mind it was more veg than meat as the greens were delicious.Spicy, garlicky and salty the sticky rice did a great job of juice mopping. Definitely one to be ordered again.

I'm still a fan and I'm glad it's there and close to home. I like it not just because it's close by but because it's really good and gives the much hyped but hard to get into Chin Chin and Coda a good run for their money. The no queue and the unsquishy, uncramped surroundings make it better than those two in my opinion!

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Little Hunter

18/5/2013

Saturday night date - let's hit the town and paint it red! Steve and I donned our glad rags and headed to the communal table at Little Hunter like true Melbourne fashionistas...ha ha in our dreams!

A subtle doorway and an industrial stainless steel stairway led us to the basement dining room. I expected it to be busy given recent hype and its popularity and we enjoyed the dark and buzzy feel to the place. We took our places at the table and I was pleased to find the high chairs more comfortable than stools at other establishments.

We chose to start with:

Pork Cracklings - paprika, white cheddar, apple sauce
Lobster Hushpuppies - softened vinegar butter

The pork crackling pieces were so light and crispy...like a prawn cracker almost, not like the cracking on roast pork which surprised me and not greasy like pork scratchings in a packet at the pub. Whilst I liked the texture, the first few pieces lacked seasoning for me and the apple sauce was too sweet but when I got to the pieces that had the cheesy bits and paprika on, that was when the music played! So much better.

Loved the crumbed bites of lobster with the creamy salty butter that had a vinegary tang that cut through the sweet lobster flesh and creaminess / fattiness of the butter. Delicious!

What was the best though and arguably it was free was the bread. Buttery t the extent it was almost cheesy. Doughy and warm and herby fragrant - it was a comfort and a delight all at the same time.

Our main courses were meat heavy:

Wood-Roasted Pork - kale, cider vinegar
Hopkins River Rib Eye - bone marrow, beef fat butter

I had a hard time deciding between pork or chicken but the waitress convinced me to go pork. It was a generous portion served in a hot pan and topped with more crackling. This was more like the crackling on a roast. I enjoyed the kale and the cider vinegar kept things tangy, piquant and fresh. I actually found the meat a little dry.

The steak was a decent steak but I preferred the char we'd had on the steak from the Wayside Inn the night before. Tasty enough but not hugely memorable.

The fries were chunky and good and the charred corn I enjoyed as it was fresh and light. With so much meat, clean veggie flavours were welcome.

Dessert was a delight:

Frangipane - meringue, passionfruit curd, whole pear sorbet

Sweet, sugary meringue, creamy pear sorbet, tangy passion fruit, fragrant soft and warm frangipane smelling all nutty and poppy seedy. All the flavours and textures combined was a magical symphony!

All in all we enjoyed Little Hunter. The service was efficient but not overly personal. We were just another Saturday night client and there was little interaction or pride or passion coming from the wait staff. The food was pretty good and I can imagine that it can win a following if punters get the right wait staff, Certainly there were three gents sat at the corner of the communal table who were very effusive in their praise for the place. For me, it was good and it holds its own amongst the elite on the scene when it comes to Melbourne dining. Having said that, there are many places on the scene and competition is tough and there are probably other's I'd go to before returning here. No problems with returning but not inspired enough to arrange it myself!

Little Hunter on Urbanspoon

Wayside Inn

17/5/2013

Friday night after a long week and the Barleys just wanted to chill with some comfort food and sleep enducing wine. We headed to the Wayside Inn having forgotten about it for a while and kicked off with a dozen mixed oysters before hitting the main station with our take on surf and turf.

We shared a whole fish and now two weeks later, we're struggling to remember what fish its was...snapper? Flounder? Can't remember. I do recall it being sweet and delicious. Beautiful white flesh just cooked perfectly that the bone could be removed easily but the meat we juicy and moist. A fresh zingy apple and hazelnut salad kept things fresh and light and the crispy and sharp shreds of apple were a perfect contrast to the soft and sweet fish flesh.

So the fish was the surf and what better turf than a good steak. We went with the Mayura Station full blood Wagyu wth a Bordelaise sauce which was a sticky and rich beef fat and marrow jus; intense and hardhitting.

The steak was delicious. Rich, satisfying, tasty and tender. Sharing the fish and the steak worked out great for us and we enjoyed sides of smashed corn and skinny fries that were salty and crisp. The smashed corn was sweet and creamy and cheesy and incredibly decadent.

Continuing that spirit of sharing we moved onto the white chocolate semi-freddo, pistachio and rhubarb. A ball of light as air semi freddo with a fragrant nutty crust and a the tang of rhubarb it was a pleasant but forgettable end to the meal.

This meal was exactly what we needed for an uncomplicated Friday evening. Service was prompt, atmosphere was relaxed, there were smiles all round. There was no pretension, no stress. Life felt easy during that meal. It was great to see a number of other diners and a large party. It always seemed to be pretty quiet when we visited previously and that was always a shame as it deserves to be loved and frequented. I really should try and remember this place more as a destination and recommendation and show it some more love! It sure deserves it.

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Queen Street Rescue

12/5/2013

Sunday lunch time and Steve threw a new one into the mix - Queen Street Rescue. I thought it was one of those restaurants that offers its profits to a charity but I later learned the moniker is more because it has a surf club kind of feel.

It's a cheery place and has a more cafe feel than restaurant but we felt relaxed and enjoyed being able to read the Sunday newspaper and take our time over food and wine.

We started off with a shared plate of three of their small plates. We chose the saganaki, the pork belly and the chicken drummettes. The saganaki was really good and not of the really salty type. The pork belly was tender with a shatteringly crisp skin that was more delicate and shard like rather than a crust. The chicken was juicy and had a strong spicy Portuguese kick to it which I enjoyed. Good start!

I went with the lamb shank cooked in tomatoes, garlic and veggies and it was served on polenta. It was actually two shanks so portions are generous. The whole hthing was comforting, simple and tasty. Steve had the fillet steak on a beetroot and potato rosti with spinach and horseradish cream. The steak was cooked really well with a charred crust and a red centre. It was also well rested with no blood juices on the plate. Not being a fan of horseradish I enjoyed the taste I had as it was mild enough to taste good.

We both enjoyed this hearty meal which was perfect for a rainy afternoon. My observation is that it was all good but nothing beyond what we could have made at home in all honesty. Having said that it was well priced and sometimes it's good that someone else does the cooking!

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Brooks

6/5/2013

Monday was birthday celebrations day for Stefanie and we decided to try Brooks out. Not much has changed decor wise from Kitchen Cat days. Our waiter who recognised me from his time at Movida was great. He's always so passionate about food and wine and was the one who taught me that a lady should never have an empty wine glass and gave me a secret top up! It was a pleasure to see him again - I think his name is Alan but there are probably a dozen Chinese waiters called Alan around but this one is special!

We ummed and aahed over the menu and ended up deciding to go with the chef's 5 course "degustation" style but ordered some oysters and the signature chicken liver parfait pillows.

The oysters were fresh and briny and the pillows were rich with a silky filling, crisp pastry and a tart I think it was rhubarb blob to cut through the richness. Quite clever and a delicious mouthful.

Our first course was a plateful of vegetables. Incredibly pretty to look at with flowers and leaves and dollops of different emulsions, gels and a sprinkling of black olive dust. The amount of concentrated flavour in every aspect of this dish was amazing and those flavours were intense. Really clever and interesting work. Now I have to confess, veggies aren't usually my thing or flowers and herbs and I did find some of these flavours quite overpowering for my palette.

The next dish was a Moreton Bay bug under a pile of seaweed infused tapioca flour, red caviar beads, some purees and the whole thing was very reminiscent of the sea. The seaweed flour was a touch too fishy for me but the bug was sweet and plump and I enjoyed the different purees it was on.

Course three was a piece of steamed rockling with some turnip puree topped with fresh coconut and then there were two tiny pieces of pickled cucmber, olive droplets and a black yuzu gel. The citrussy tang of the yuzu gel enhanced the gently steamed fish which would have been bland without it. I enjoyed the turnip and the slight sweetness of the coconut. A very clean dish with pure flavours that looked simple ( I doubt it was).

Our final savoury course was pigeon. Two tiny tasty pieces of pigeon with some sweet onion and leaves on salty savoury Vegemite puree. I had been waiting for something that was tasty and delicious and homely like Sunday lunch at Embrasse where I first encountered Chef Nicolas Poelaert and it came with this course.

Dessert was a mushroom on a forest floor, Chocolate soil and some herbaceous granita, a meringue mushroom stalk and a cap of hazelnut mousse. Not overly chocolatey and not overly sugary; this was light, fluffy and a pleasant way to end the meal.

It wasn't the end of the meal though as Alan brought round some petit fours and we chose a couple of passionfruit donuts and a square of salted caramel. It wasn't completely clear whether these were part of our tea order, complimentary or extras and we found out afterwards they were extra. The donuts were delicious and I loved the tart passionfruit instead of a sugary sweet jam or custard. The salted caramel was very rich and fudgey and even between the two of us, we couldn't finish it.

Our meal at Brooks was interesting and enjoyable. I liked the attentive service and the romantic candle lit ambience.However I'm not rushing back and if I did go back I don't think I'd do do the degustation. I'd probably opt for the more homely sounding roasts for two. I remember really enjoying the more rustic, country cooking of Sunday lunch at Embrasse and I think the roasts for two would be more along those lines. The fancier stuff didn't really do it for me here and whilst they were interesting, they weren't tastier than Attica or Vue de Monde. And it's pretty pricey too and whilst I don't doubt the work that goes into the each dish as they are intricate it just didn't hit the mark for me.

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Bang Pop

5/5/2013

The Sharing House has been replaced by Bang Pop and we met up with Kirsty and Marty for lunch there today. In terms of decor it's not really changed; the giant Lego bar area is still there as are the tiles that look like cells on an Excel spreadsheet.

No bookings taken but it wasn't busy and this makes it comfortable unlike the similar offerings in the CBD where tables are crammed together and the music loud. This airy and light filled dining room with a view of the river was a good place for the four of us to catch up.

The waitress came to talk through the menu and highlight some favourites to which we said ok bring us the favourites and what you think is enough and we definitely want sticky rice! She seemed a little surprised so maybe they should offer banquets or feed me options more...

Proceedings started with the crispy chicken ribs, pork neck and sticky ricbe and the sausages which you wrap in cabbage. They were all tasty and great appetisers. There were different spicy sauces that came with the chicken and the pork and they were all flavoursome and moreish,

Our main courses were the 16 hour cooked duck leg curry, the cotton fish and the minced chicken salad along with rice and we also ordered additional pad thai.

The duck curry was great with the sticky rice - smooth, creamy, spicy and fragrant with black pepper there was a decent amount of sauce, meat, green beans and pineapple. A definite Bang Pop hit and one to repeat.

The cotton fish wasn't my thing. Apparently it's deep fried fish fried to oblivion so it becomes this crispy, chewy mess that is eaten with salad and a chilli dressing poured on top. It was ok but I wouldn't choose to order it again. I can imagine with the amount of deep frying though it could have been a lot uglier, greasier, oilier and tasting of twice used fat and this managed to still remain fresh and zingy.

The minced chicken salad with a giant prawn cracker on top was flavoursome - pretty zesty with the lime. It wasn't so great that I'd re order though. I'd probably try something else next time though.

Dessert we had the sorbet selection and share it amongst us - coconut, lemon and mango. I thought they were more ice cream than sorbet and the coconut was more fruity than nutty but they were cooling and refreshing.

We found Bang Pop to be a great South Wharf addition and so much better than The Sharing House. This side of the river needs some Thai spicy action especially if it sells sticky rice and yummy curry and I'm looking forward to a return visit.

BangPop on Urbanspoon

Bistro Guillaume

4/5/2013

Saturday lunchtime and where to go. We haven't had lunch at Crown in a while so we decided to head there and see what appealed. We bypassed Nobu, ummed and aahed at Spice Temple, thought about Silks but weren't really dressed for the occasion and ended up at Bistro Guillaume where we sat on the terrace and imagined we were in Paris!

The lunchtime deal was anything off the menu - two courses for $45 and three for $55. If you chose the two priciest courses it would cost in real terms about $65 so pretty good deal.

We started off with half a dozen oysters with red wine vinaigrette. They were plump and fresh and very enjoyable.

Steve went with the French Onion soup which he's had before but always enjoys. It's flavoursome, cheesy, homely and comforting so I can see why it's a favourite. I went with the charcuterie plate. Well merci for charcuterie! It was a pretty impressive board of goodies with a big slice of terrine, some potted meat, foie gras parfait, 4 different meats / salamis, a few dressed salad leaves, cornichons and some toasted bread...all for one person! I've seen smaller selections for 2!

Steve helped me out and it was all very tasty. Perhaps a little chutney would have cut through some of the rich meaty delights but no biggie.

I had the roast chicken and mash and Steve went for the barramundi with pommes allumettes, tarragon butter and pea puree.

In the way that Steve returns to French Onion soup here, I am irresistably drawn to the roast chicken. It's just so soft and juicy and the half chicken is pretty generous. The breast piece is served off the bone and then there is a thigh piece and drumstick. The butchery is very good with a clean bone. The jus is yummy and that mash is just so creamy and rich. Butter butter butter...so much butter but heck it sure tastes amazing.

I'm not sure if this is the best roast chicken or Philippe Mouchel's version at PM24. I need to eat more to decide!

We shared a side of fresh peas with lardons and shallots and yes, cooked in lots of butter...so much butter it makes it so delicious.

We shared dessert - the fresh raspberry and rose macaron. Tart and light it was a delight. The raspberry sugar plum fairy must have made this! It was delicate and there was juiciness, crispiness, chewiness, fruitiness and creaminess all in one. Reminiscent of Eton Mess but with a touch of French elegance and chic!

I'd forgotten how good Bistro Guillaume is actually s this was an excellent reminder. Beautiful food and value for money. Let's not leave it so long for next time! A bientot Bistro Guillaume.

Bistro Guillaume on Urbanspoon

The Estelle

3/5/2013

Our last visit to The Estelle was Grand Final Day and after an afternoon of beering and cheering we could only manage the 7 course (only - ha!) wonder and missed out on wine matching so we planned to return and so we did this weekend. Unfortunately Friday night post work drinks happened beforehand so I did struggle by the end of the extravaganza.

I really enjoy the laid back but still buzzy ambience at The Estelle and the passionate and personal service from the team there.

Our snacks arrived and we had crispy chicken skin which was salty and moreish with a sprinkle of paprika. There was a sliver of raw bonito fish on a sesame cracker thing a a blob of guacamole - smoky and wheaty I'd say from the cracker which was reminiscent of a Scottish oatcake or a stale Digestive biscuit. Finally we had the compressed melon with the edible wrapper which we had last time which provided some much needed juiciness and sweetness after the salty chicken skin and the oatcake.

The first proper curse was a delicious blend of charred corn, sweet onion soubise and some salty goat's cheese. Comforting, creamy with a tang from the cheese it tasted familiar and homely yet fresh and light at the same time.

Our next two courses were probably the dishes of the night for Steve and I. Confit salmon with red caviar, braised leeks and a potato cream - it was divine - like something a fairy godmother would whip up on a cold evening. Think unctuous slivers of salmon, sweet leeks, creamy savoury sauce and then the salty hit from the caviar.

Then came what I called cup soup and a sandwich. Effectively steak tartare with a quail's egg on a crostini so like bruschetta and a glass of Jerusalem artichoke veloute (posh word for soup). The soup was just so so savoury and delicious and comforting yet nothing like what could be created at home. The stock base used to make this must be pretty special as the flavours ran so deep and it was thick and creamy and just so yummy. Then the bruschetta was just as delicious with a tang and briny saltiness from the capers, creamy richness from the egg yolk and a crispy chewiness from the bread.

My favourite was the salmon and Steve's favourite was the soup and sandwich. We were also enjoying our matched wines. Traditional Chardy with the salmon from Gippsland if I remember correctly and I can't remember what we had with the soup. It was white though! And I was happily still managing to eat and drink all that was put in front of me.

We then moved onto smoked mussels with a green sauce and quinoa. This was probably our least favourite of the night. I couldn't really detect much smoke and the quinoa to me was just a touch to wet. It wasn't untasty just not a hit.

Then came a fillet of John Dory with an onion consomme, pickled pine mushrooms and an onion cream. Back to the heady delights of brilliance. The fish was perfectly cooked, the piquant mushrooms cut through the sweet broth.

Onto meat dishes and red wine and this is where I admit I couldn't finish my glasses of wine...unlike me I know. Blame the 3/4 bottle I drank after work and for doing that, I blame the stresses of work!

Anyway we had delicious partridge paired with a Shiraz with some brussel sprout leaves, baby corn in its husk and grated Macadamia nut. Yum. Kind of like quail but bigger and slightly gamier we enjoyed picking this up with hands and getting stuck in.

Our final meat course was lamb with lamb bacon, turnips I think and some other greens. I was stuffed but this point so this dish was too rich for me. My lamb had quite a bit of fat to it so I was kind of pleased I could leave that untouched but had I not been full I'd probably be quite depressed that my meat was reduced to the size of a mouthful. I liked the lamb bacon and it added saltiness but Steve found it too much.

By now I was in a coma...really needed a sharp citrussy zippy dessert to snap me out of it like the refesher at the Press Club...

Dessert was an apricot tart with a juniper cream and mint sorbet. I've got to admit it was a bit sweet for me. I enjoyed the sorbet which revived me a little but the tart pastry was a bit heavy for me and the apricot and custardy topping just all a bit sweet.

Our waiter was concerned I hadn't really enjoyed it as much but then I reckon given how full I was, I'd have struggled with most things. He took care to choose the final dessert for us - something as light as possible and we had the chocolate mousse with passionfruit sorbet. Loved the passionfruit icy bits and I ate all those but I was too full for chocolate. Steve ate his though!

Definitely still a fan of the Estelle. It's clever, quirky and I love the element of surprise. I also love the lack of pretension. The way the wait staff look after their customers is great. They accept that not everyone will like everything and don't make you feel bad for not enjoying everything out of the kitchen. I love that kind of respect. Respect back to you Estelle!

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