Category: French

Bistro Thierry

1/7/2013

It was a cold, wet and wintry Monday night and Tanya and I wanted French fare to comfort our work ravaged souls. We drive to Chez Olivier but it was shut so we decided to try Thierry instead. Luckily we arrived just before the rush and it was surprisingly busy for a Monday night. Initial impressions of the clientele were the corporate crowd and some regulars positioning it in our minds as a good neighbourhood bistro.

The front of house team were charmingly Gallic. The decor was tres Parisien and I half expected the them tune of 'Allo 'Allo to start tinkling in the background. French onion soup arrived super quickly and it was steamingly hot and tasty warding off those nasty Winter chills. The cheesy crouton was yummily oozy but could have done with being a touch crispier around the edges. Perfect temperature though and I just got away with not blistering my mouth. Loved the little earthenware pot with the Thierry emblem.

We bothe went with steak frites and I went with a mushroom sauce . Loved the shoestring fries - crispy and golden just like they should be. The steak was tender but Tanya's comment was that it wasn't as silky as the one at Chez Olivier. My comment is that whilst tender it and cooked rare as ordered, it had been over char grilled and so the crust on it tasted burnt and added bitterness to the overall flavour which was not my bag.

Loved the petits pois and the spinach but really we could have done without as the steak and frites were huge. I wish the waiters had warned us as it was such a waste.

No room for dessert...but a pleasant meal. I'd come again but maybe try something other than the steak. The candlelit ambience make it a lovely intimate place for a date. Bistro Thierry is a welcome slice of chic Europe amidst the laidback easiness of Australia.

Bistro Thierry 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 French Brasserie

14/12/2012

Christmas time - season of goodwill and all that! Also means a time for business lunches and thank you for your business, here's to the New Year and working together again.

I enjoy catching up with suppliers and this was a good lunch with my boss, a colleague and three from the host company.

We were seated in a nice corner and it was airy and bright. It was quiet when we first arrived but soon filled up. Busy enough to create ambience but quiet enough that we could chat easily and freely.

My boss Carrie and I struggled to choose between entrees so we decided to share each others. We had the cured kingfish (pictured above) which came with little balls of potato, salad, orange slivers and a chive creme fraiche. It was deliciously light with the orange cutting through the full fat (could taste it was full fat!) and decadent creamy creme fraiche. The fish was thickly sliced, which I liked and slightly dry so the flavour could come out. Although the fish was cured with beetroot, the flavour wasn't quite there but undeniably the colour made it a very beautiful looking dish.

So Carrie and I polished off half the kingfish each and then we shared escargots in garlic butter. The escargot were tender and the garlic butter just garlicky and buttery. I felt they needed a touch of seasoning to make them perfect but in spite of that still enjoyably good.

Others went for steak tartare and the ubiquitous French onion soup...when in France...

I enjoyed the minute steak which was topped off with a little onion and lardon. Unauthentically presented and not quite the steak frites of a Parisien bistro it tasted great and the steak was very tender. The fries were authentically shoe string and salty so that was enough for me.

The other dish pictured is the cassoulet. It looks like a small pot but I was assured by the two gents on the table that ordered it that it was not as gentle as it looked and packed a powerful punch. I guess duck, duck fat, lardons and beans can be heavy on the tummy!

I was surprised by how good this was. I think it's pricey for sure and is probably more suited the corporate clientele especially at lunchtimes but the premium price point is not unwarranted. I'd heard misgivings about service but we didn't experience that and whilst it took a while to flag down a waiter for the bill we felt looked after enough. Definitely a good choice for our purposes.

French Brasserie on Urbanspoon

The Calombaris Challenge

17/11/2012

In the last fortnight I have been lucky enough to eat at 5 of the 7 MADE establishment restaurants probably better known as eateries that Calombaris has ownership of. It wasn't intentional to participate in such a pleasurable endurance test but things just turned out that way.

It all started as my in laws (mother, father and brother aka known as mo, fo, bro) paid us a visit from UK and were keen to try a little of the George magic so we decided to take them for a family feast at Hellenic Republic and then some fine dining at Press Club over lunch which we thought would give them a taster of both ends of the scale.

Our visit to Hellenic Republic was on a Wednesday evening and the place was as busy as a Greek taverna in the Summer. We had a very enthusiastic waiter look after us. Only minor gripe was air con was turned up a notch too much for us so it didn't quite feel like a Mediterranean Summer but seriously it was a minor gripe and once the food came we soon warmed up.

Rather than go with a fixed menu we chose what we fancied and with guidance in relation to volume from our friendly waiter, we think we did pretty well.

We enjoyed a few nibbley small plates to begin with including some bread and dips (tzatziki and fava the split pea one with truffle), saganaki with peppered figs and the grilled asparagus, broken egg, anchovy mayo, tsoureki crumbs.

The meat dishes - lamb, chicken and pork were all seasoned well with the true flavours of the meat coming through but enhanced by char grill and some herbaceous notes. Our sides of Cypriot salad of grains, pulses, nuts, yoghurt and the potatoes fried in olive oil, oregano, salt were also moreish and flavoursome. I particularly like the grain salad and the sweet tang of the pomegranate elevate it above the much loved freekah salad at Cumulus in my humble opinion. Both are great though, don't get me wrong!

We shared various desserts including the Hellenic Mess, Greek doughnuts, vanilla custard pastry and baklava. I enjoyed the doughnuts with some ice cream - too sweet without it. Custard pastry was like a spring roll / vanilla slice. My father in law seemed to love the Hellenic Mess but the rest of us prefer the more traditional style and I don't need Ouzo in my strawberry sauce. Sad to say baklava was a little disappointing and Steve prefers the one from Steve's Deli at South Melbourne market.

Overall it was a great family feast where we could chatter and share food and catch up and share food and enjoy each other's company and share food. It's all very care free and like a Greek holiday. Great as a first reunion dinner for us.

Our Press Club visit was highly anticipated and it really did have a lot to live up to. It was quiet when we arrived but soon filled up with a mix of business people and others obviously enjoying a leisurely Friday lunch like us.
There are various lunch options to choose from that suits a range of budgets and time available for lunch from a simple 2 courses at $38 per person (3 courses at $45) to a family style sharing a la Maha or Embrasse on a Sunday when it was open at $50 and then the most expensive mini symposium or degustation at $85.

After much umming and ahhing we decided to go with the degustation and also opted for an additional Wagyu beef course that was described in such delectable detail that we couldn't refuse.

We'd have loved to have sat at the Chef's Table but with 5 of us that wasn't possible. However we were able to look over and watch all the activity over this busy lunch service.

We loved our food and were lucky enough to be able to taste some additional courses too. As luck would have it, and it was unexpected the table next to us assigned to two former colleagues and now friends of mine (Kim and Greg) so we enjoyed some banter over the food.

What did we enjoy? All of it but if I were to summarise some highlights they would be:

Freshness of the first green asparagus dish which was crunchy and herbaceous with a cold tang of horseradish contrasted by the natural warming heat of it
Beautiful tuna tartare with a lovely contrasting cube of seared tuna
Sweet, creamy and unctuous crab with fresh almonds and a salty sea note running through. This was a surprise course for us.
Surf and turf - fleshy barramundi with a heavy braised beef cheek accompaniment. Surprisingly the dish held up the heavy and hearty meaty goodness.
Another surprise course served in a paper bag - a chiko roll like one from a fish and chip place but made with wallaby. It was like a yummy Greggs pasty for those UK readers. The wallaby theme continued to another surprise course.
Beautiful rare wallaby with a strong gamey flavour sweetened by beets and bitter chocolate
Lamb with a lovely ratatouille of eggplant but I felt the middle eastern spicing was a not my thing. The goats milk bubbles were very unusual and exciting though.
The Wagyu was really special. Melted on the tongue, incredibly rich and succulent. Almost spongey in texture unlike anything I've had before
Sweet saganaki dessert was a talking point especially as it was sweetened by beetroot and the sweetness cut through with a yoghurt ice cream. Like the Wagyu, it was something so different to anything we'd had before but this time it was because it was created that way whereas the Wagyu is a natural product that is just so different

We also enjoyed the Zeus chocolate dessert that Steve and I have had previously and our waitress was kind enough to bring some extra vinegar chocolate sticks that we love so much.

George popped into the restaurant and he found some time to come over and say hello which was very good of him making us feel welcome and valued.

I love the combination of cleverness and creativity that the Press Club brings out but also that it sticks to familiar flavours and its roots are traditional so whilst there are unusual and things that raise questions and causes dinner table discussions, there is no denying it's still delicious.

Following the Press Club, I was invited to a business lunch by a supplier at PM 24. It wasn't my choice so don't go thinking I'm a mad GC fan and every meal I have has to support him! Having said that I was pleased with the decision.

There were 5 of us at the lunch and we had main courses and desserts. My companions all decided to go with the signature rotisserie chicken and in my bid to be different I went steak frites with bearnaise sauce.

It was classical French cooking and we appreciated the superior produce and traditional execution done well. My frites were more the traditional Aussie hot chip and not the crispy shoestring fries of France so perhaps there's something there to think about but they were good chips so not really a point of criticism more a point of consideration.

Service was efficient and unobtrusive. Clever that they bring the tray of desserts to the table as saying no and declining becomes far too difficult. I went for the pretty fruit tart and the others opted for a coffee cream and the rum baba. Comments were that the rum baba packed a powerful punch of rum. The coffee cream was coffee flavoured and creamy so pleasant enough. My fruit tart was a little dry but because it was small the dryness wasn't too much of an issue.

Lunch at PM24 was followed by a last family dinner with mo fo bro at St Katherine's. My father in law chose to go there so Georgie C seems to be a Barley fave. During their trip here we had some epic meals and went to some great places and we let my father in law have free reign as to where he wanted to go for our last supper before they left and St Katherine's was his choice so off we went on Wednesday evening.

It was unexpectedly busy. I think because it's based in Kew and it's a school night it wouldn't be but tables were full when we arrived and we had quite a late sitting. Admittedly it quietened down a lot by the time or main courses arrived but by then it was almost 9pm so not surprising.

We deliberated over their feast menus or to come up with our own and we decided to go with our own instincts and choose what we wanted.

The dips were as per the previous time we had them, delicious. The fava one wasn't on the menu and was replaced by a carrot and pumpkin one which seemed the least popular on our table. I'm not a carrot fan so didn't expect to like it anyway. The bread went down a storm and I think in the space of three minutes we chowed down 4 bagfuls!

Grilled halloumi was good but apparently not as good as the saganaki with peppered figs at Hellenic. Lamb sausage was a bit too dense and meaty for me but the men liked it. I loved the KFC which was pure meat with a moreish BBQ sauce and Kewpie mayo. Also have to mention that the packaging at St Kat's is always fun with bright stripey tubs and paper bags of bread.

The grilled John Dory was one of my favourites with a zesty and herby flavouring to it. We also shared the ribs and the mixed dish of chicken and lamb. Chips and tarama was passed around and my wariness of the tarama turned into delight. It wasn't overly fishy and was more creamy and salty so a good alternative to aioli. I also enjoyed the rice pilaf and corn salad as per the last visit.

Dessert time consisted of a couple of the Mrs Whippi's and some panna cotta. Mrs Whippi was a success. The panna cotta I felt was a little mediocre. The raspberry flavours didn't really come through and there wasn't a lot of panna cotta - just a few blobs scattered around. The lemon although delicious by itself overwhelmed the rest of the components of the dish so all I could taste was lemon.

Discussions over dinner was that St Kat's is quite similar to Hellenic Republic in its family sharing style. I personally prefer the taverna vibe at Hellenic as St Kat's is a little bright and refectory like for me but the food at St Kat's floats my boat more. The overall verdict was that food preferences laid with St Kat's but the saganaki at Hellenic Republic is the best dish between the two overall.

Following this dinner, a few work colleagues and I had lunch at Maha the next day! Not my idea ok!? We went for the two course soufra for $35 and it was great. We started off with some bread and mezze consisting of some whole almonds with cumin salt, olives, a walnut dip and some radishes in honey, black pepper and coriander. Who knew almonds had a furry coating like a peach? The bread was warm and soft and after one roll each, a second one came out soon after.

Our main course was a piece of Spanish mackerel done sous vide on top of some wilted spinach and the signature 12 our lamb with some mushroom rice and a fresh salad. The quality of these dishes is very good and the price tag makes it such value for money. No one could not enjoy mackerel cooked well and soft tender lamb.

We were well looked after and food was served within the time frame we requested and we all left with full bellies and smiley faces. Winner!

So that was my Calombaris endurance test and what a one it was. Friends have said that I wimped out and really should have fitted the other two in. I guess without sponsorship I wasn't able to finish the course!

Hellenic Republic on Urbanspoon

The Press Club on Urbanspoon

St Katherine's on Urbanspoon

Maha Restaurant on Urbanspoon

PM24 on Urbanspoon

Embrasse

12/8/2012

Sunday lunch and we decided to try Embrasse as recommended by foodie friend Kirsten. It's a small dining room and service was conducted by two friendly waiters who were efficient and capable.

It's a set 4 course menu with no choice involved although I'm sure they would make exceptions for dietary requirements. The dining room was comfortable and elegant and I enjoyed the natural light coming in on this sunny but wintry Sunday afternoon. There were other diners, mainly groups of friends and / or family and given the feel of the set menu are dishes to share there is a pleasant convivial atmosphere.

Our first course was a beautiful pot of cauliflower soup accompanied by a bowl of crispy croutons. We were each given a dish with some globe artichoke, broccoli, carrot and mustard seeds and we were instructed to serve ourselves.

I liked this informal, help yourself mentality - bit like being at home and adds to the relaxed atmosphere. The soup was thick and hearty not overly creamy which I liked more velvety. I thought it needed more seasoning but Steve liked the pure vegetable flavours and being able to taste the simple artichoke and broccoli come through. Looking around no one else was adding salt but me so I'm prone to think it's more my palette than anyone else's. The crispy croutons were wonderful - they turned doughy in the soup and retained a crunchy outside. I'm not usually a fan of croutons as I find them too oily but these must have been baked as they were dry and light.

Next was steamed rockling with mixed quinoa, celeriac puree and crispy celeriac bits. I was a bit tentative at first not being a celeriac fan but I loved the celeriac with the fish. It was flavoursome and savoury and such a good salty contrast to the sweet fish which was just cooked through - perfect. The quinoa added a toasty flavour dimension and this combined with the fish and celeriac was wonderfully satisfying. We loved this!

Our main course was roast chicken from Bendigo with peas, green beans and yellow carrots.

The chicken was just beautifully tender and falling off the bone and the peas and beans were firm and al dente contrasting the soft meat. Again this was served on a big platter for us to divide up ourselves. There was also a little jug of gravy and some Dijon mustard.

Oh there is nothing more comforting than roast chicken and nothing more decadent than roast chicken French style with buttery and wine juices. The savoury meat all soft and delicious with the sweet firm green veggies and a buttery gravy was just comfort at its ultimate. Like putting cold feet into wool lined slippers, make that cashmere lined slippers as this was a notch up to roast chicken made at home. A couple of roast potatoes and we would be in Heaven!

The set menu is 4 courses with an optional cheese course and we felt that portion size so far had not been overwhelming so we decided to go with the cheese and we enjoyed three cheeses, some orange and capsicum relish and lavosh bread.

Dessert took its time but we were kept informed that chef was making some new choux pastry from scratch as he wasn't happy with the first batch and we were happy to wait.

Dessert was worth the wait. Two little choux buns filled with creme patissier (creamy golden vanilla custard) and with a few boysenberries to cut through the richness. We loved this dessert as it felt light (although we know better that choux pastry and creamy vanilla custard can't be light) and the choux pastry had that perfect dry exterior yet was still doughy and moist.

Embrasse is exactly that - it's like a kiss or a hug or an embrace with a sophisticated Parisien air to it. We loved it and enjoyed spending our Sunday afternoon there.

Embrasse Restaurant on Urbanspoon

PM24

4/8/2012

Second visit for me but first for Steve and friends Kirsty and Marty.

We started with some oysters and we had a mix of two different types. There was the smaller sweeter Pacific oyster and a much larger and saltier different one that I can't remember the name of. Beautifully fresh and delicious.

I stuck with tradition and went with Burgundy Style Snails - Tomato, garlic and parsley butter, mouilletts. Garlic butter and tomato - a classic and great combination.

Kirsty went with French Onion Soup - Croutons, gruyere cheese also very traditional. Probably a touch too sweet for my liking but loved the golden cheese and deep brown broth.

Jerusalem Artichoke Souffle - mushroom fumet for Marty and roasted beetroot - whipped goat curd, fennel, nashi pear, walnut for Steve. Both plates were finished. Steve commented that whilst good the beetroot salad at The Crimean from the night before had the slight edge as it was just that little bit lighter.

I went for the steak which was cooked rare and delicious with a creamy Bearnaise sauce. Kirsty had steak tartare of which there were three big quennelles which she struggled to finish. The two boys both went with the Three Points Rack of Lamb, shoulder, eggplant, jus which they loved and there was not a scrap left on their plates. The braised lamb shoulder was beautiful and so flavoursome. We shared some cauliflower gratin, sauteed mushrooms and chips.

Steve commented that he can only recall one rack of lamb that was better than this and that would be the one he cooks!

There was a hush around the table as we all shut up and just enjoyed the food! It was so good it deserved a respectful silence!

We did all go for dessert and I had the lemon tart with a fromage blanc sorbet. The tart filling was very sharp and creamy but the whole things was a touch heavier than I'd have liked including the pastry. The sorbet was interesting though - almost yoghurty with a hint of goaty dairy flavour.

Kirsty definitely enjoyed her cloud like souffle and the little ramekin was empty very quickly!

Steve had pain perdu which he loved and had the crepes which was like a melted Snickers bar in a pancake apparently which sounds delicious!

Our waiter was charming and attentive. Admittedly service was initially slow as the earlier sitting vacated and the later sitting were seen to and we did have to wait for menus and to place orders but we could see the poor guy was pretty busy. When things calmed down he was a lot more efficient and was great at serving us - personable and friendly and passionate about the food. He described it as proper French cooking and not science and that it's food that comes from the heart and not necessarily the brain and I think that's a good way to sum up our meal. It was classic done well with no fancy foams and gels just well cooked using fresh and superior produce and there is always room for that kind of cooking in my heart and tummy!

PM24 on Urbanspoon

The Hardware Societe

25/6/2012

We returned from a one week trip to Broome on Sunday evening and I had cleverly booked the Monday off from work as I thought it would be good to get the laundry done and have a little bit of a rest day (to get over the holiday of course) before work.

As it turned out, it was an excellent move to do this as I couldn't do my washing as my machine needed fixing (the seal in the door has a hole so it leaks) so I was a true lady of leisure. And what do ladies of leisure do, why they lunch of course!

I decided to head to Hardware Societe. I have actually been there once before for breakfast on a weekday when my friend Charis was visiting but I never blogged about the experience as I didn't take photos. Steve and I have tried to get in a few times but have always been put off by the crowds and queues outside. Given it was mid morning when I set off, I was hopeful I would get lucky.

The place was busy but no queue. They have expanded into the building next door since my previous visit so they can seat more people. I was shown to a communal table and was told that they'd finished breakfast and lunch was not due to start till 12:00 but I was welcome to have a drink and wait. This was 11:30am. I had my Kindle so I thought why not and enjoyed little pot of tea. I loved the tea cosy as it meant I could eke out my tea for the 30 minute wait and it stayed hot.

Whilst it was busy and the wait staff were somewhat frantic I didn't feel rushed. I enjoyed my little spot and even the stool wasn't too uncomfortable. It was like being in one of those scenes on TV where one person stays still and everything else whizzes past and round them on fast forward speed.

At just before midday one of the waitresses came to take my order and said they'd put it in the kitchen and the chefs would get round to it once lunch service started.

I chose the sirloin with beef cheek rillettes and a potato and leek thing. I can't remember what they called it!

My plate of food didn't actually arrive until just before 12:30pm so although lunch service didn't start till midday, my tummy had been waiting for food since 11:30am!

When I think that it took 30 minutes for my dish to arrive and that my order was one of the first in I have to consider whether that wait was worth it.

The dish itself didn't sound French but when it arrived and I tasted it, I was transported to a Parisian bistro. The hunk of meat was still pink and moist - not a chargrilled or pan fried sirloin steak as I was expecting but roasted. The beef cheek rillettes was meaty and had a distinct citrus orange flavour to it and I liked this spike of flavour. I was surprised that the rillettes was obviously cold and I found the contrast in temperature between the meat and potato and the rillettes a little strange. The potato was like mash with a slight crisp crust; it had a sweetness to it so I wonder if a sweeter root vegetable had been added into the mash mixture.

It was an honest and flavoursome plate of food and at less than $20 represented good value. I'm not sure it warranted a 30 minute wait but I am grateful that at least during that wait I felt comfortable and could relax. This is not necessarily the place for a quick lunch and I wouldn't come on a workday as it would stress me out to be in and out in an hour. However on a lady of leisure day where time is abundant and it's all about relaxing and enjoying one's own company or the pleasure of someone else in the same position then it's ideal. I'm not sure why its Urbanspoon's number one pick based on just the quality of food but I can understand its popularity and I think the the price point and location has a lot to do with this.

The Hardware Sociéte on Urbanspoon

PM 24

10/2/2012

A restaurant like PM 24 deserves a hot date! And my Friday night date was the delightful Miss. Stefanie.

We could only get a table for 6:30pm so opted for an early dinner. Naturally a hot date meant getting dressed for the occasion and we enjoyed being frocked up and celebrating a Friday evening.

PM 24 has a French bistro kind of feel with the wooden chairs with the round seats. There's an open kitchen and we'd managed to snag what I thought was a great table in the far back corner so we could sit at an angle to each other and both look out and view the dining hall. Also it's a good place to come perhaps in a three or five as there are a number of round tables. I am a fan of the round table.

Our waitress was very friendly. There was another waitress that helped out but either it was her first night or she wasn't very good as she seemed to get confused a lot and there were small hiccups such as a delayed drink, coming to take dishes away only to put them back down again and run off and hovering around the table with one of the dishes not sure what to do with it and then disappearing with it only to bring it back again. Anyway hiccups make life interesting or so they say...Anyway in the hands of our capable waitress we ordered our first cocktails and browsed the menu.

The cocktails were delicious - I'd started of with a passionfruit and mango one and Stef went for a raspberry cosmo. Perfect to kick off a Friday evening. We decided to go with the degustation to try everything but changed the roast chicken to lamb because we both felt roast chicken was too boring!

First came two glass bowls of the soup du jour and on this day it was a tomato gazpacho with the most amazing little crumbs of crouton. Cold and refreshing it had the right flavour balances of sweet and tangy tomato without being overly sweet or sharp which can happen with a tomato soup. Thumbs up!

Also have to mention the delicious crusty bread rolls served warm and the most decadent French butter. Bread and butter so simple yet so worthy of a mention.

Next we enjoyed the Ceas Spanner Crab which came in a bolognese sauce, fresh cappelini pasta and basil with a shellfish foam. The savoury bolognese sauce tasted great with the sweet crab. I'm used to light crab dishes so it was refreshing to sample a heavier take on crab and learn that it can indeed stand up to a meaty bolognese style sauce.

Apparently the degustation menu is about sharing so we would have to split the dish and plate it up ourselves.

The dégustation charcuterie was the PM 24 selection of cured meats, pain de campagne, pickled vegetables, a slab of terrine and roasted beetroot and Meredith handmade goat curd salad. This type of picnic food was a great compliment to our chit chat which was going at full chortle so ideal we could just graze as and when we took breath! The terrine for me could have done with a touch more seasoning but other than that no real complaints.

The fish dish as Harpuka fillet with
Bouillabaisse fumet, seafood ragout. The fish came with with a dark crust that shattered beneath the slightest of pressure. The seafood ragout was tasty but the fish itself was a bit bland and we couldn't quite figure out the crust. I enjoyed the crust - kind of vanilla ish but Stef thought it was too weird. The fish itself was dense and meaty and touch dry.

Now for the palate cleanser which was a short glass of mint sorbet. This to me was weird and I didn't really enjoy it. Kinda fruity with a strong mint flavour. Nope...next please!

So we'd changed the Organic Milawa chickent with rosemary and preserved lemon, sautéed potato to the rotisserie of the day which was leg of lamb and it came with mashed potato and atop some green beans. We'd ummed and aahed between leg of lamb and rack of lamb.

Lucky us in that the leg of lamb came with a cutlet each so in a way we got rack and leg. The lamb was beautifully flavoured and tender. The leg meat wasn't quite what I was expecting as it had been described as almost braised but this was definitely roast meat. Not that it mattered as it tasted good. I felt the sides of mashed potato were a touch on the small size as the meat to carb ratio was heavily towards meat.

Dessert on the degustation menu is either a shared choice of three but if the crepes are ordered it's a choice of two. We went for the French Crepes a la Minute, lemon curd, raspberry, caramel suzette and the chocolate and caramel tart with a passionfruit cream.

The crepes was divine and I loved the tangy lemon card and sharp berry flavours. I think it would have been nicer with a sweeter cream or ice cream than the berry sorbet. The tart was heavy and sweet and very full on and again I didn't feel the passionfruit cream was pleasant with it. It may have worked better if the berry sorbet and passionfruit cream were switched. I think the sorbet would have cut through the chocolate tart better and berries and chocolate are a great combo and the sweet passionfruit cream would have gone well with the crepes. That or vanilla ice cream with both!

In spite of some hit and miss I did really enjoy the food here. I guess I'm a sucker for French flavours and roast meat! Slightly reminscent of Bistro Vue but with a wider menu it's a good place to bring people because there is something for everyone. With the several cocktails and a glass of wine I had and some pretty decent food I thought it was priced at an acceptable level. One to bear in mind for when the parents visit.

PM24 on Urbanspoon

Bistro Vue

21/1/2012

Birthday lunch at Bistro Vue pour moi. We had a table booked for 1pm and for perhaps 20 minutes or so and we were joined by a small number of other diners. I wonder how busy this place gets...

I love the decor especially the red flocked velvet banquettes and I can imagine it's a romantic place in the evening. The red flock doesn't quite go with the 80s style blue neon lit sign outside the front entrance though.

Service was welcoming and efficient. Our drinks arrived quickly as did warm bread rolls to have with the most delicious French butter. This is going to be one indulgent birthday lunch. Good job I skipped breakfast!

I started the lunch with house smoked salmon with toasted brioche. It came with a cute little quennelle of salmon mousse that was tasty and creamy. The salmon itself was delicious and not over smoked or over salty - just perfect and the slightly sweet toasted brioche was the perfect accompaniment.

Although there were lots of tempting things on the menu including a duck salad or a goats cheese and onion tart, Steve went with the French onion soup with beer, topped with Gruyère. It comes with a pastry top that sinks into the soup. The soup itself is tasty and deep with a good savoury kick. The quality of the soup is superior to its namesake at Bistro Guillaume but Steve prefers the cheesy crouton at Guillaume's rather than the pastry top. So far we're enjoying the food and feeling happy.

We chose to share the special which is roasted lamb shoulder for two with mashed potato, asparagus, lavender jus and a green salad. The meat is cooked perfectly pink and looks so pretty on the wooden board - almost elegant. The pommes puree just looks amazing and it tastes even better - not too buttery that it's sickening and seasoned so tastily.

We enjoy the tender meat, delicious potato and the zingy green salad. The chargrilled asparagus is also tasty. The lavender jus in moderations just adds a little fresh touch but we certainly don't need more than a splash.

So did dessert live up to the high standards set so far. I go for the chocolate biscuit with vanilla ice cream and in my head it's like a brownie. In reality it's molten lava cake and it comes out looking like a souffle. A spoon down the middle and the outer crust cracks letting molten chocolate ooze out. It is so delicious; not overly sweet or chocolatey and actually feels remarkable light for such an indulgent dessert.

Steve goes for the baked to order madeleines with honey ice cream and 6 perfectly baked specimens are delivered. We initially think 6 is pretty ambitious but these are so fluffy and light with no hint of grease that actually 6 becomes pretty manageable!

We loved our lunch at Bistro Vue - it's French food at its best. Vive la France!

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Heirloom

25/11/2011

Express lunch at Heirloom - $30 for three courses and two drinks (one can be wine). It's a winner! A cross between French and Japanese, I wasn't sure how this would work but I really enjoyed my lunch.

Service was a little patchy. It took us a while to place our food order and the waitress kept signalling with her finger she'd be a minute and had to ask another waiter who was busy doing something else about something before coming to us so we had to wait for the two of them to finish whatever needed doing before placing our order. But after this little blip we were back on track.

We started with a Hokkaido Crab Croquette which came on a carrot salad. The croquette was a nice balance of crab and potato with a crispy crumb. The carrot salad was bland - strings of carrot with some creamy mayo so I left most of that.

Next was a small sushi and sashimi tasting plate. I'd been warned by my lovely dining companion Stefanie, that sometimes the fish is questionable so didn't raise my hopes. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the kingfish sashimi and the three pieces of sushi that consisted of salmon, tuna and a whitefish. Very delicate I enjoyed the soft rice and the generous cut of fish.

Main course - we both opted for the eye fillet. There was also a Yellowfin tuna option. The eye fillet came with pommes puree and a mushroom, red wine and bacon reduction. The French influence certainly came through this dish and I loved it. The eye fillet was tender and flavoursome. The pommes puree and the mushrooms and bacon chunks were delightful. So delicious to have such a flavoursome, strong and rich jus to support the steak and the pommes puree.

We were offered tea or coffee which we opted to take out. All in all a great deal for the money paid. Good food, nice ambience, comfortable place to sit and linger or to chomp, chat and leave. Given a main dish costs around $38 on an evening, this express lunch is a great bargain.

See you soon Heirloom!

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