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The Estelle

29/9/2012

According to that reliable source, urbandictionary.com the definition of Estelle is "a lady who is innocent yet knowing, beautiful and intelligent, sensible but fun. Estelle is a keeper."

The Estelle is an unassuming neighbourhood restaurant that shines like the meaning of its name, star. And I am pleased to say it lives up to both its urbandictionary and traditional name explanations!

We arrived 5 minutes early for our 8:30pm table but it wasn't ready for us and there wasn't enough room for us to wait so we went to the quirky bar down the road for a quick aperitif before returning where we greeted with recognition and warmth.

The place is intimate and has a romantic retro feel of a diner with an art deco 20s flair to it. Loved the vibe and buzz and although we were seated close to our neighbours I didn't mind it whereas the night before at Pei Modern, it annoyed me. I put it down that the feel at Estelle is convivial and buzzy but at Pei Modern I wanted to be less community minded and wanted privacy.

We opted for the 7 course dinner and chose a bottle of wine from a great wine list that is pocket friendly with a view that we would return for the full 9 course and matching drinks.

Our amuse bouches were

Veal tendon crackling with an onion dip served in the martini glass.

Melon with edible film round it

Jerusalem artichoke and I can't remember!

I do recall that the melon was interesting as the film wrapped itself around the morsel when it was in the mouth like cling film (Glad wrap if you're Aussie) adding a different texture.

The onion dip was a bit too sweet for me but the crackling was interesting.

Beetroot & ashed goats cheese was our entree and it was lovely to look at and delicious to eat. A mild goats cheese with some nuts and sweet beetroot and a hint of a citrus gel. Delicious.

Scallop, miso & seaweed was an absolute gem. We've been enjoying scallops with belly pork or bacon or black pudding with a pumpkin or cauliflower puree recently and whilst that is good, this took us back to the beautiful simplicity of a scallop.

The caviar and the seaweed just reminded us of the sea and really upped the ante on the sweetness of the scallop. Truly a winner!

I enjoyed the Crab Mornay in spite of the fact it had carrot in it and we'd asked to avoid carrot, celeriac, blue cheese and coffee.

However the creamy cheesy curry and the toasty breadcrumbs stole the carrots thunder and the sweetness of the crab was delicious. Steve said this dish was a grower in that he wasn't overly enthralled at the first mouthful but by the end was won over. It was very rich though and our portion size was just the right amount.

Now I'm not a huge fan of snapper as I find it dry and a little bit tasteless. So when presented with snapper, pea puree and pickled vegetables I was dubious. However, the snapper was cooked beautifully so it was not dry and the flakes were just meaty and yummy. The pickled vegetables were delicious and the pea puree added this intense iron like flavour that was a great contrast to the slightly sweet pickle and the freshness of the fish.

I didn't think it would be my favourite dish but it could well have been. That or the scallop...not sure...have to try them both again!

Lamb, girolles, wild garlic came next. The breast of lamb was heady in lamb flavour whereas the lamb fillet was incredibly soft, succulent but not as strong in lamb flavour. Loved the wild garlic. Great play on textures here.

Dessert number one was sour cream, pumpkin & salted caramel. The olive oil sponge was light and had a hint of hazelnut sweetness. Loved the tang of the sour cream and the toasted pumpking seeds. The salted caramel added sweetness and whilst delicious, I'd have liked to have experience more salt. Ate the whole thing in a matter of seconds though and it was so light and fluffy.

Albert’s chocolate garden came next and is inspired of Albert Adria of El Bulli fame. Heady cocoa, coffee cream (shame as we had asked no coffee) it was probably a chocolate fan's paradise but not right for Steve and I. I'd have preferred to have had this before the previous dessert and end on a light note or had another savoury dish as this one didn't do it for me as much as the other courses. I can see that it would be very popular with others though and appreciate it for that but just not for me or Barley Boy given his aversion to coffee and I'm not a huge chocolate dessert fan.

Our meal ended with a little refresher after we paid the bill of basil, banana & lychee. Another interesting dish - I loved the lychee and citrus fruits as they were refreshing and zingy and helped ease that over eaten feeling. The basil ice cream was beautifully perfumed but I think I'd have preferred it as a granita or sorbet to keep things light and zesty. I enjoyed the flavour but felt so full that ice cream was a touch too heavy.

Overall we loved the Estelle and like urbandictionary says it's a keeper. I loved the ambience, the service and the food. Cheers to Estelle! You are indeed a star.

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The Meatball and Wine Bar

29/9/2012

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Grand Final day and we needed lunch. We decided to head to Flinders Lane and see where had room at just after midday.

We ummed and aahed between Meatball and Wine Bar and Chin Chin and ended up entering the empty Meatball and Wine to give it a go. It was so empty I had to ask the waitress if they were open and she said they were but with it being Grand Final didn't expect it to be busy. I guess it wouldn't have been appropriate to inform her that Chin Chin was packed and heaving!

Anyway we were shown to a small table against a wall and left to peruse the menu. I like the simplicity of choices - balls, sauce, something for them to sit on or in bread. That's it! But pleasing for all given there are so many different types of balls: fish, veggie, chicken, pork, beef and on the specials board, veal.

I started off with a delightful Limoncello Freeze or something like that - Limoncello, prosecco and lemon sorbet. Delicious.

We shared a charcuterie board of mixed meats - there was prosciutto, fennel salami, truffle salami and some other with warm bread. Really tasty.

We decided to share two types of balls, sauce and something for them to sit on and opted for:

Pasture Fed Angus Beef, Red Italian Tomato, Super Potato Smash

Chicken (Pistachios, Muscatels, Parmesan), White Creamy, Homemade Pasta

The sauce we left out was the green salsa verde and other available things to accompany balls and sauce include Italian beans, creamy polenta or something green.

The dishes were pretty tasty. The chicken balls were slightly sweet with a nutty texture here and there thanks to the pistachios and went well with the creamy sauce which wasn't cheesy and not too heavy - just enough to keep things juicy. The beef meatballs were also good with great flavour and well seasoned. The smash was chunky rather than smooth mash but I guess if it was too smooth it would be too similar to polenta.

We shared a caprese salad - Heirloom tomatoes, Mozzarella di Bufala, Basil, Mildura Olive Oil

This was fresh and delicious with mozzarella that was creamy and delicate and not just tasteless and bland which it can fall into the deathtrap of.

Overall this is a great place for a weekend lunch or a post work dinner. I wouldn't say it's destination dining but it's a novel concept executed well. Not overly expensive for its location. Our meal came to less less than $100 and we had a couple of drinks (alcoholic) in the mix. It's also pleasing to most people and there has to be something for everyone. Surely most people like mince whether it's a ball or in a burger form.

The slight let down was the attentiveness of the wait staff. There weren't very many of us in the restaurant and there was just a lack of attention to detail. Good wait staff, in my opinion, anticipate the need so they ask you if you want another drink just as your glass is nearing the end or after they give you a drinks list they return to take your order. The staff were all pre occupied with other duties - one of them was on the phone confirming reservations another was stocking up the bar and because of this we had to chase them up to place a second drinks order and to follow up a missing salad. Steve noticed that our food was sat at the pass for a while before anyone picked it up so perhaps the kitchen needs a louder bell to signify when dishes are ready.

Having said that, we still enjoyed it and when places open there are usually teething issues and none of what we experienced was so terrible. It would have just been an even better experience if the above was done better. I still want to return and would still recommend it.

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Pei Modern

28/9/2012

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Friday night was spent at Pei Modern and was the first meal in honour of our 8th year of marriage.

I arrived about 5 minutes early and was invited to perch on a bar stool as our table wasn't ready. Steve joined me shortly and then within seconds we went to our table. We were quite close to other couples so the better tables are the booth ones I think. Less chance of hearing the conversation next door.

We actually started off with 6 Pacific oysters which were delicious with a sticky, vinegary, shallot dressing.

We followed that up with:

Anchovy Shortbread, Parmesan Custard

Reminiscent of the anchoa at Movida but no sorbet, instead a custard, the pastry was buttery and crumbly and the anchovy salty with that heavy whack of umami. Great beer food.

Our entrees were the O'Connor Steak Tartare and the Almond Gazpacho with Blue Swimmer Crab.

The steak tartare had a good texture - chunky and a good spice too it. Loved the zing of tabasco and the crunchy, crispy, toastiness of the crisps. It was very rich and pretty good. The table next to us kept waxing lyrical about it and how it compared to Bistro Vue's and it got very boring listening to them!

The almond gazpacho was interesting in that it was creamy without being fatty, hint of salty sweetness from the crab, fresh green flavour from the parsley and some texture and sweetness from some black grapes.

Pan fried whole John Dory with Clams, Beurre Noisette and Chrysanthemum Leaves was my choice for the main. It was a pretty classic dish with some fresh peas for sweetness which went with the tender fish. The chrysanthemum leaves added an element of bitterness and it's not what I like so I left it. It was fresh and light and enjoyable but didn't have a huge wow factor. Given a choice I'd have the John Dory at Claypots with the ginger and spring onion.

Steve went with the Roast Rabbit, Saltbush, Wakame & Mildura Jerusalem Artichokes. Again another classic dish executed well but not hugely memorable. The most interesting thing would have been the saltbush which added an interesting floral flavour. Steve says it was most enjoyable at the time and it went down well enough but not something to shout from the rooftops and urge others to try.

Desserts left their mark more. Steve went with the specialty dessert of Caramelised Tomato Stuffed with Twelve Flavours, Star Anise Ice Cream. Very cutely presented and reminiscent of those tomato ketchup bottles that are in the shape of a red tomato, it was heavily spiced with Christmassy flavours of fruit and peel.

I went with the Vanilla Ice Cream, Strawberry, Italian Meringue. Perfect combination and pleasing to everyone surely. And yes it was deliciously delightful if not a little conservative.

Pei Modern is an interesting one. Yes we can see some things being interesting but when they are interesting they don't quite bring home the flavour. The almond gazpacho was unusual but more unusual than delicious. Other dishes were more delicious but fairly classic and enjoyable enough but not interesting enough to be memorable so it's all a little bit confusing!

We felt a little let down by service. Whilst the maitre d' Ainslie Lubbock is award winning and rightly deserving of her title, her team is less impressive. Ainslie was extremely courteous, attentive and incredibly charming as was her 2ic but there were too many other tables for them to be able to cover everyone and where they then should have been supported by others, there were gaps.

We were left to wait just a touch too long for our order to be taken, our drinks took just a little longer than patience allows, our wine glasses were emptier just a smidgen too long...you get my drift...And really it was because Ainslie and her 2ic were spread too thin and the team just didn't have the attentiveness and attention to detail needed to keep the standards as high as when she and her 2ic assist.

I liked Pei Modern on the whole. I'm not rushing back but I know if I was encouraged to return, say if someone else suggested it, I wouldn't be averse as I know I'll enjoy the food. I've just had slightly better experiences elsewhere so it makes sense to put the higher up on the restaurants to revisit.

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The Napier Hotel

23/9/2012

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Sunday lunch and we sought solace in a good old fashioned pub where we could sit in comfort and feel like we were at home. We chose the Napier Hotel and it fit the bill perfectly.

Four friends, four big dishes of food! I had the pork belly in masterstock with pad thai and it was great - strong flavours, generous serve and comforting. Steve's roast pork dinner was the Western version of my dish and again large, hearty and comforting.

I heard from our friends Rachel and Tim that the pepper crusted kangaroo with bearnaise sauce went down with a hop, skip and a jump and the Morroccan lamb pie was family sized and delicious.

We declare the Napier Hotel a great Sunday lunch pub.

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Virginia Plain

22/9/2012

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Opened next door to Cumulus we decided to try out this new kid on the Flinders Street block. The welcome was warm enough and we walked through many a vacant table including a completely empty bar area to our table at the back of the dining room.

I liked the vibe of the place - unusual lighting, tall ceilings, lots of room. The wait staff or retro kooky with the men in braces / suspenders accessorising with a fedora or a pork pie hat, checked epaulettes and / or a bow tie. There's definitely a folky kind of tone to the place made hip because it's Melbourne!

The menu is wide with something for the adventurous palette but also staying homely and comforting. There's some French influences with the Wagyu Bourguignon and Barramundi cassoulet.

We commenced proceedings with the cured Spanish mackerel, pickled vegetables and preserved lemon purée.

A pretty and delicate dish, the fish went well with the clean, sharp flavours of the pickled veggies and the acidic tang and saltiness of the preserved lemon puree which almost added a bitter flavour to the creamy fish.

I thought cured mackerel would be quite a robust fish given it has such strong flavours when cooked but actually the fish flavours were muted and almost creamy. Although I liked this dish and the way they components needed each other to come together, I prefer mackerel cooked. The texture here was a little too "flabby" in the mouth for me.

Town hall pigeon, roasted with crisp confit leg, sautéed quinoa and baby beets came next. The pigeon was almost duck like but even gamier and I enjoyed the way the baby beets added sweetness. The texture of the quinoa aded interest and the confit leg was just beautiful.

The scallops, pigs’ trotters, stuffed with black pudding, sliced intrigued us on the menu. It come on piped mashed potato (winner) and we both loved the sweet scallops and spicy black pudding. The pigs trotter casing was almost squid like in texture and the pairing of pork, black pudding, scallop and some vegetable puree is a classic flavour combination. It was executed perfectly in this dish. Reminiscent of something similar at Cicciolina, it was a little more refined but taste wise just as great.

We decided to share a one person serve of Wagyu Wellington. Rump cap and cep duxelle rolled in pastry served on a wooden board with fondant potatoes spring greens. We didn't realise it came with veggies and potatoes so we excessively ordered some peas a la Francaise which was completely unnecessary but it didn't stop our enjoyment.

The beef remained rare and the gravy was delicious. The potatoes had a meaty flavour to them and a great soft texture on the inside but a toasty roasty flavour from the outside. This was a huge portion for one person. I don't know how one person could get through it. We split it and felt it was just the right size!

We shared most of our dishes and it was a great way to dine but our table wasn't big enough to do this on! We felt a little like we were playing real life Tetris with all the plates etc.

For dessert I went with the lemon tart which came with some poached apricot and a less attractive mush of clotted cream. It was a generous slice for $9 and I loved it. The sugary top and the citrussy tang along with a crumbly pastry washed away with a naughty kiss of cream was just decadent and sinful. The apricots were neither here not there but I'm not one to turn down extras!

Steve went with the modern mandarin cheesecake which was effectively 5 cubes of vanilla cheesecake and each with a different type of mandarin based topping - poached, gel, jelly, puree, mousse...it was all there! Fun and interesting.

Overall we were impressed by the quality of food at Virgina Plain. The portion sizes were generous and the wine list covers every taste and every budget. The service we experienced from our Italian waiter was friendly and enthusiastic. It's a shame it was pretty quiet which made the ambience a little flat but it's still early days. I like the fact that there is something for everyone. Steve and I discussed it as a good place to bring his family as Dad can try the weird stuff and Mum can enjoy braised beef and mash.

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Gill's Diner

22/9/2012

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Saturday lunch and it was getting on to about 2pm where places start to quieten down and lose their buzz or shut shop completely.

Steve and I found ourselves at Gill's Diner and yes the place was quiet but we didn't feel like after thoughts and we certainly weren't just served what was left at the bottom of the pan! The welcome was warm and we had our choice of tables. We deliberately chose a larger one so we could spread out the with newspaper and just enjoy each other's company without any communication!

We decided to start with a shared portion of spanakopita with a beetroot salad. I quite fancied sharing something else such as the leek and potato soup and other delights but as always, Steve is sold on a dish if there is beetroot. The addition of cheese and pastry just makes it better for him!

We didn't have to wait too long - long enough that we knew the food was fresh and not just reheated! We split the golden pastry down the middle and immediately enjoyed the clean creamy goodness of mild cheese and spinach and the crunch of golden pastry. The salad was heavily dressed and the savoury dressing seasoned the delicate flavours of the spanakopita. Very enjoyable and not drowned in grease as can be the case or overly dry. Great proportion of pasty to filling ratios.

I went with the special of spaghetti marinara and thoroughly enjoyed the garlic and chilli spiked salmon chunks, prawns, mussels and pippies The seafood was generous and so fresh. The mussels were plump and the pippies large. The chunks of salmon were cooked perfectly so they were still juicy and creamy. The only slight criticism would have been a little too much oil for it to feel light and healthy (which it most certainly was not) but the upside to that was it was great to dunk the soft white rolls of bread in to mop all the final flavours.

Steve decided to continue with the pastry theme and went with the beef and burgundy pie with chips and peas. It looked inviting and the chips were golden and rustic. I enjoyed a sneaky few dunked in the tomato relish that was supplied. The peas were good although quite soup like - peas in a pea soup almost. The pie was deemed to be good but more beef and mushroom than beef and burgundy and it looked a little dry and apparently tasted a little too. Nothing a little jug of gravy couldn't fix though!

I really liked the feel of Gill's Diner and it would be a great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's very Melbournian and would appeal to many a friend so definitely one to remember.

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Maha

21/9/2012

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Steve surprised me with a last minute reservation at Maha on Friday. It's been a long hard week so we both skipped Friday night drinks with colleagues and met up at home where Steve had a 2 hour nap and I had a rest before we headed out for dinner.

We had a quick drink before heading to Maha and enjoyed a second drink at the bar. I tried their specialty cocktail - a heady mix of rum, lemon, vermouth and a violet sugar crust. Not the best on an empty stomach!

We decided to go for the full shebang and braced ourselves for the 8 course degustation. It's a new menu so we wanted to give it full justice and attention!

Opening ceremony of hibiscus tea and a passionate "saha!" was followed promptly by smoked pork hock broth, silverbeet, beans and a quail egg. I love broth and consomme type dishes and this one was salty and smoky and really quite delicious. The beans added body and substance and took away some of the saltiness and the shreddlings of pork hock were delicious.

Tuna kibbeh neya, yoghurt and wasabi foam, soy pearls, mint, cucumber and rice cracker came next; effectively a tuna tartare tian topped with a wasabi foam. I loved the concept and the soy pearls very clever. The tuna and cucumber were beautifully fresh. The proportions of the dish could do with a little tweaking for my tastes as I found there to be too many soy pearls and too much wasabi foam compare to the amount of tuna and cucumber. But lots of potential and on the plate and I can understand where this dish has come from and where it's going.

The poached rainbow trout, tapioca, dill, candied walnuts, salmon caviar, trout pashmak was a more mature dish I felt and I really enjoyed the clean flavour of the trout intensified by the pashmak which was reminiscent of the Asian pork floss and then bursts of sea flavour from the caviar.

We then moved onto meat dishes and enjoyed the corn fed chicken tagine, broken egg, corn bread, saffron, Iranian figs, sucuk soil. Very rich and sweet it transported me to the spice markets of Marrakech. The egg added a creamy depth and the sweet fig flavours penetrated the tender meat. The sucuk soil was a little grainy and mealy for me but I guess it added more texture to a soft dish.

Roast duckling breast, leg malfouf, roots, onion crumble was another triumph. The duck confit wrapped in a cabbage leaf was simple and just full of duck flavour and the duck breast was pink and moist. The little balls of crispy potato were a delight to munch.

Lamb loin, tahini mousse, roasted eggplant foam, freekah, quinoa, fried cauliflower and shoulder cigar looked a lot simpler than it sounds! It was a lamb cutlet coated in tahini mousse that was reminiscent of scrambled egg. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the fried cauliflower and quinoa added texture. I loved the eggplant foam that was more substantial than a foam but still very light. The shoulder cigar reminded us of the cigar we had at Cutler & Co which was filled with a foie gras parfait and a pretty special cigar. This one did not disappoint but was certainly different.

Our final main course was David Blackmore rib eye cap marble score 9+, honey, coriander seed, roast garlic parfait, shaved roots. By this time we were pretty full but the beef was so delicious that in spite of full bellies it disappeared. Cooked rare it was just excellent and I loved the punchy garlic parfait and the stodgy potato croquette ball on the side. The was a hint of spice to it but the beauty of the beef came through most of all and rightly so!

The first dessert was beetroot sponge, beetroot ganache, milk chocolate peppermint crisp ice cream, watermelon rosewater ice. I loved the dollop of refreshing watermelon granita and the peppermint ice cream was light and fresh. The pink beetroot sponge was very pretty but not my kind of thing but Steve ate it all happily.

The second dessert was beautifully presented in a box and comprised of three components. There was a chocolate and pomegranate molasses souffle all toasty brown and fluffy. Not overpoweringly chocolatey I enjoyed the sweetness of it but it was just too big!

The strawberry ice cream came in a silver tin and was childishly delightful reminding me of the milky sweet candy like ice cream that kiddies enjoy. The best part of this dessert was the little shot glass of sumac meringue, candied pine nut mint salad and pomegranate jelly. More complex and grown up than the strawberry ice cream it was refreshing and light and tropical and I loved it!

Maha was maha-vellous. Service as always was personal and attentive. We were asked our opinion on the dishes and our thoughts listened to. The pace the dishes came out was good and our late sitting didn't feel dragged out. All in all great Friday night surprise. I'll take more of those hubby!

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Sam's Boatshed and Restaurant

16/9/2012

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Sam's Boatshed is family friendly and a comfortable place to relax with a group of friends and that's exactly what we did there. We sat around a big table with lots of room for each other and the stroller. We chit chatted so much that we took too long to decide on food. Steve and I arrived 15 minutes late and the rest of our group were already there and that was no problem for the kitchen or wait staff. Everything was just easy.

We shared some cheesy garlic bread and enjoyed different pizzas and a chicken parma. Slight blip in that one round of drinks took some chasing and reminding before they arrived but no biggie. Pizzas went down well, bill came promptly and before we knew it we were on our way.

That's what Sam's Boat Shed was - convenient, no frills, but flexible with the length of time we took and a perfect place for catching up over a bite to eat where the most important thing is fellowship and cameraderie and the food is there to support friendships and love.

Sam's Boatshed Restaurant & Bar on Urbanspoon

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Sake Restaurant and Bar

14/9/2012

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A Friday night girl date and Kim and I met at the bar at Sake. Perching at the bar we ordered a couple of fruity plum wine based cocktails that were juicy but probably lacking that strong alcoholic kick we wanted for a Friday end of hard week drink. So we moved on to sake bombs to get heighten the Friday fever and with a ichi, ni, san (1, 2, 3) we slammed the bar top and the shot of yuzu sake fell into the beer glass and down the hatch it went.

We started off with the white-soy snapper described as thin slices of sashimi snapper topped with sesame seeds, chives, yuzu juice & white-soy dressing. Sweetness and fragrant sesame balanced with the salty soy. Quite greasy in texture so on the richer side and although the flavours were delicious it didn't quite have the clean finish that can be found in other sashimi dishes.

The silver cod lettuce cups came next - 4 pieces of grilled miso-marinated silver cod in lettuce cups. The last time I was there we had it as a whole piece of fish and felt that although it was good it was missing a certain sweetness. Well this time we had that sticky sweetness counterbalanced with savoury fish and a crunchy topping. Beautiful morsels of fishy goodness.

The steamed prawn dumplings 6 pieces of Chinese-inspired shumai with spicy ponzu was a treat. Cleverly wrapped in steamed noodles they are unlike other dumplings I've had. Fresh and steamed well they were tasty and provided the delight only a dumpling can give!

We were advised by our friendly waitress to try the tuna tasting plate for 2 comprising of tuna and avocado sushi rolls, tuna tataki salad with white dressing & tuna tacos with Kozaemon Junmai 'sake shots'. Whilst we enjoyed the freshness of the sushi rolls and the crunch of the taco, we didn't quite get the connection between the sake and the tuna. The sake was quite overpowering whereas the the tuna dishes were all very clean and minimalist.

We also enjoyed the assorted tempura (excellent just like last time) and the salt and pepper bug tail. The crispy fried bug tail meat pieces tossed in salt & pepper seasoning with a side of yuzu pepper mayonnaise & lime squeeze were plump and flavoursome. Great beer food if a pricey version!

The Wagyu teriyaki grainfed wagyu 7+ cooked medium rare, served on
sautéed shiitake & buckwheat with yakiniku sauce was delicious with generous thick slices of beef that were beautifully cooked with a sticky sweet and soy sauce. This is such a crowd pleaser dish that I cannot imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy it.

We rounded off the evening with espresso martinis and a milk and tapioca pudding with white chocolate before moving back to the bar and sampling other libations!

We loved the passion and genuine hospitality shown by the wait staff. Our waitress was so keen to show off the dishes and proud of where she worked. Bartender Ben was a true professional, chatting to two ladies in a charming way and entertaining us the whole evening. There was no Melbourne hipster "pretentiousness" when we asked for a drop of Baileys in the espresso martini and asked ignorant questions about sake and plum wine.

Sake is just so shiny and an exciting place to go. There's a sense of pride in place and food is on the whole really good. The only area where I feel there could be tweaked a little is the cocktail list as it stands is a little limited for Melbourne standards and there's not really enough on there to rock my world! I'd love to see some more fruit based flavours - martinis, highballs, shorts and let's not forget there's glitter and sparkly bits in the cocktails at Nobu so the bar is high!

Saké Restaurant & Bar Hamer Hall on Urbanspoon

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Tai Pan

9/9/2012

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Sunday yum cha at Tai Pan is boisterous, busy, crowded and the car park is a pain to navigate with slow drivers and people not sure what they're doing. So is it worth the 30 minute drive for us?

In terms of food and value for money, probably. We enjoyed lots of different dishes including the favourites - sticky rice, pork and century egg congee, cheung fun, assorted buns and egg tarts. Steve loved the egg tart but I though the pastry to filling ratio was a little unbalanced with there being too much pastry but I've also had much worse egg tarts so it was still good.

Service at Tai Pan is not the warmest and wait staff certainly express their disgruntlement and lack of enjoyment or job satisfaction on their faces. I certainly was tutted at a few times as I got in the way of a waiter refilling our tea pot. Excuse me was not in his vocabulary!

With the right mindset Tai Pan is a good place for yum cha. If you're ok with being surrounded by large noisy families including children trying to squeeze between tables and chairs and ok with lots of people pushing their trollies round trying to vye for your attention and ok with grumpy service but in the mood for some good authentic yum cha dishes then it's the right place to go. If you want somewhere calmer with a more service based attitude then Red Emperor is a better choice but the food isn't as tasty and it's pricier.

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The Estelle

The Meatball and Wine Bar

Pei Modern

The Napier Hotel

Virginia Plain

Gill's Diner

Maha

Sam's Boatshed and Restaurant

Sake Restaurant and Bar

Tai Pan

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