• Chive cakes
• Chicken satay

​
These entrees came out quickly. The chive cakes were nice enough with sweetish soy and stuffed with fragrant chives. The chicken satay was juicy and tender and I liked the chilli dipping sauce more than the ubiquitous peanut sauce that is usually served in Thai restaurants. Certainly a tasty enough start and washed down by a couple of fruity, punchy cocktails it was a good Sunday afternoon!

• Mashed prawn curry
• Stirfried Siamese watercress
• Glass noodle salad

My favourite here was surprisingly the watercress which was stir fried to perfection with a punchy sauce. The flavour of the prawn curry was powerful and yummy with the steamed rice but mashed prawn means mince prawn which I found a bit mealy and I'd have preferred whole prawns or some other chunkier protein. The mashed prawn is obviously more cost efficent as uses less prawn but I would have preferred to pay more and have more protein.

The glass noodle salad came out a little later so were had trouble finishing it but it was fresh and tasty. I think the noodles were slightly overcooked so a bit mushy but again, the flavours were good.

In all, we enjoyed our Long Chim visit. I wouldn't be averse to another one to try more as the food was appetisingly attractive and tasty. Not all of it was to my taste though but enough of it tantalised the old tastebuds to warrant a second try.

Admittedly we are latecomers to Dinner by Heston; maybe it's the grudge I hold for not being able to secure places at the Fat Duck when it was in town! That's not true by the way; the grudge that is not the fact we weren't able to make it Fat Duck. The lack of Fat Duck in my life is very true and then there are those that made it more than once...the unfairness of life prevails...

Where was I? Yes, so I did have a reservation earlier in the year and it was going to be for my birthday lunch but it clashed with our tickets for the Aus Open so I postponed and so we ended up here on Saturday.

It's a bit strange as it's located next to the Crown Spa so as I enter I see people padding around in towels and bath robes but as we walk down the darkened corridor towards a light display, the white terry towelling we've just witnessed melts away. There's a moment of confusion as the automatic door slides open as there's the reality of the door but also its reflection. We find the right entrance as opposed to walking into the mirror and enter a light, bright, dining room that is elegant yet approachable. There appears to be a lot of wait staff but they're all ever so obliging. We're early but our table is ready and we're shown to seats with a window view of the city landscape.

The charcoal and teal uniforms with other variations are classy; there's a quiet calm about the place and it's all very understated but at the same time impressive.

There is a set lunch menu which we thought was well priced but it didn't have a lot of the things we wanted to try so we went a la carte. We also had to order the acclaimed Tipsy Cake then as it takes an hour for it to be ready.

• Meat Fruit (c.1500) | Mandarin, chicken liver parfait & grilled bread
• Savoury Porridge (c.1660) | Garlic & parsley butter, grilled abalone, picked beetroot & fennel

We start off in the same way as nearly all the other tables with that ubiquitous Meat Fruit. Endless wooden board after wooden board with perfect mandarins parade out of the kitchen with single slices of toast all with perfect char marks. The taster I had as it was Steve's Meat Fruit, which he made very clear, was creamy and dreamy, rich and without a glitch. The need for extra toast was anticipated before he was done with the first slice and more appeared. I don't think many decline extra bread as the mandarin is pretty hefty. I thought it might be too much, too rich but Steve declared he could do another so I guess not!

My Savoury Porridge was like a garden on a plate - so pretty, so fresh and green. I loved the fragrant garlic and herb notes and I don't like fennel but the curls of fresh fennel added crunch and sweetness contrasting the pickled tang of the beetroot. The abalone didn't add so much in flavour, more an additional chewy texture. I liked the lightness and brightness of this pretty plate.

Our main courses were:

• Lamb & Cucumber (c.1830) | Roast best end of lamb with cucumber heart, sweetbreads, broad beans, barilla & mint
• Black Angus Ribeye (c.1830) | Mushroom ketchup & fries

I was dubious whether there was enough lamb for Steve as the two pieces didn't look that big especially when the thick layer of fat was stripped off but he assured me there was thickness to the meat. I tried a bit and it was soft and sweet with great lamb flavours contrasted by the slightly tangy cucumber and a fresh minty gel. The sweetbreads were crumbed into two small balls of savoury crunchiness. This was like Spring on a plate.

The steak was so flavoursome but also tender not far off from a filet so best of both in terms of flavour and texture. The mushroom ketchup was HP sauce like in appearance with morsels of mushroom and I expected it to be spicy and tangy but it was actually just like ketchup. And when I was running low, I was offered more. The waitstaff are so observant and responsive! 

Triple cooked chips are actually a little wrinkly looking and not as appealing as they could be. They look a bit stale but they are super crunchy and moreish. Just not as pretty as everything else. The smaller ones are pure crunch with little filling but the bigger ones manage crispiness and potatoeyness much better.

Two little jugs of jus accompanied our plates of meat and boy that jus was good. Savoury and reminiscent of what gravy should be like; all we needed was Yorkshire pudding! We had side dishes of mash and cabbage with onion. The mash was perfect ripples of snowy silkiness hefty with cream and butter. Pure decadence, pure joy.

At this stage, once we'd enjoyed our main courses Steve and I had a quick reflection on our meal so far. Definitely a lot more restrained, understated and classical than we expected. Traditional and homely flavours but refined and made elegant. It's comfort without being rustic. Fine dining that is made familiar and oh so approachable.

At this stage we contemplate what happens after mains but upon the advice of our waitress we decide to indulge in the Tipsy Cake before plotting another path. And along said path we discover our bottle of wine is empty so we go for a half bottle. A weekend boozy lunch is such a good thing.

• Tipsy Cake (c.1810) | Spit roast pineapple
• The Cheese Board | British and Australian cheeses, pear chutney, oat cakes & seeded crackers
• Nitro Ice Cream Served Tableside

The Tipsy Cake arrives in all its fragrant glory - vanilla, butter, sugar and a touch of citrus with a hint of grown up booze. It's golden, it's beautiful. As the spoon squishes the soft brioche, golden rivers of speckled custard ooze out. It's sweet without being cloying, buttery without being heavy. And the piece of golden, roasted caramelised pineapple adds a tropical tang. I hadn't notice the roasting pineapples when we entered but Steve pointed out the medieval looking contraption and I could see the chain going round with the hand crank on the outside. Very cool!

On a sugar high we decide we can take on the cheese so we opt for a small serve and choose 4 out of about 8 different British and Aussie cheeses. The cheese is good and served with some tasty crackers.

And in a nod to the origins of molecular gastronomy of course we have to indulge in some nitrogen effects. A trolley with what looks like a cross between a Kitchen Aid and a Singer sewing machine arrives and our waiter cranks the churn to create two ice cream cones for us. The cones are made of fragile brik pasty (think one sheet of filo) rolled in fine sugar crystals and there's some strawberry compote spooned in to make the final mouthful a sweet treat. The ice cream is speckled with vanilla and so smooth and the perfect balance of sweetness and creaminess. We don't need it to be overly rich after the meal we've had so this light ice cream is the cloud like solution we need. And we get to choose two out of three intriguing toppings. I go with freeze dried raspberries and some apple popping candy. 

We've had a wonderful afternoon - window seats, deliciously well executed food and service that is exemplary. It's a true treat. It's expensive but I don't begrudge the bill - it's worth it. We're worth it!
​

• Spaghettini al Granchio - Spaghettini with spanner crab meat, garlic, chilli zucchini, cherry tomatoes, white wine and lobster bisque
• Lattuga e avocado - Iceberg salad, avocado, aioli, grated salted ricotta

Pizza was great; fresh tangy tomatoes, nice pizza base - doughy and chewy but not heavily so and the peppery rocket was a great accompaniment.

The spaghettini was al dente, just as I like it and the crab meat was sweet and there was a hint of warm chilli. Not sure where the bisque came in - perhaps it was a few tablespoons that kept it all juicy but not sloppy.

Salad was fresh and green with a hint of creaminess from the avocado and aioli. At least the top layers were fresh. The bottom layers were steeped in oil; too much oil, unpleasantly oily which was a shame as it showed much promise.

I enjoyed the food. I felt it was a touch over priced but then we were in Crown Casino so there's always a bit of a premium. I think it's a good option if at Crown for other reasons and a feed is required which was our situation. It's not so amazingly good that I'd visit just to dine here. There is good pizza and pasta elsewhere that is better value.

https://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/

There's been a bit of a Rockpool renaissance in my life of late. It's been a few years and Spice Temple has a very fixed and special place in my heart and tastebuds especially for a yum cha lunch so Rockpool has gone off the radar. But it's been brought to my attention by a couple of people in quick succession (Stef went for lunch recently, Steve did too and others) that old FOMO (fear of missing out) set in and I was pretty determined to pay a visit before our UK trip to sample this Rockpool resurgence myself.

Those that know me or regular readers will know I've coined the hash tag #auditwidow as Steve's workload has been intense in the last 6 months and included 8 hour days every day over Easter as well as pretty much every weekend in between. The average working month is 165 hours but in April Steve did that plus an additional 140 hours! Lucky for him, he found the work interesting and challenging. Less lucky for me! But it did mean we could enjoy a meal out as recompense for his commitment and hard work and I guess for my loss of a husband for that time! What better place than Rockpool - lamd of the corporate lunch and corporate Amex!

As expected service was friendly, accomplished and slick. Our waiter helped us with our menu choices which he then kindly gave us credit for. It's always nice to be commended on making the right decisions in an eatery! And he split our dishes so we could share easily. Our two entree choices were:

• Pine Mushrooms and Scampi with Sage, Burnt Butter and Soft White Polenta
  
• Wood Fire Grilled Quail with Smoked Tomatoes and Black Olives

The seafood was soft, gentle, sweet and the burnt butter, fragrant and nutty. With the right amount of seasoning this delicate dish really showcased the autumnal pine mushrooms and sweet seafood - so comforting and so delicious.

The quail was just as much of a high point but completely different on the flavour notes to the scampi and mushrooms. Actually we pretty much stayed on the high notes for the remainder of the meal. The quail was tangy with vinegar, salty with the olives and a hint of smoke from the tomatoes. So easily could this have become over seasoned and over flavoured but it just erred on the right side and was a hit with the tastebuds. 

Two Italian style dishes but so very different - one mellow and gentle and the other vibrant and challenging. A perfect combination really.

Onto the the main courses. We decided to share two different steaks and had the classic Rockpool offering of the 36 month old aged fillet and a rump which had the appropriate moniker of Minderoo. How could I not eat my namesake?

Part of the joy at Rockpool is selecting side dishes and that's a menu unto itself. Coupled with that joy is the creeping cost as the desire to have more and more sets in! But with the help of our waiter we chose 3 side dishes (far far in excess of what we needed but we like choice) to accompany the steaks so our main course journey looked like this:

• Minderoo Yearling Iron Grass Fed Rump - 500g
  
• Cape Grim Dry Aged 36 month old Grass Fed Fillet - 250g
  
• Mac and Cheese
  
• House Chopped Salad Dressed Table Side
  
• Sauteed Brussel Sprouts with Speck and Chestnuts
  

I recall the mac and cheese as being mustardy and therefore not my thing, from previous visits but Steve assured me the last time he came it wasn't at all. And it's definitely not mustardy and is intensely cheesy but not overly creamy. More salty and piquant which is good so it's less heavy but it is mac and cheese so it has to be justifiably rich and dense. I found the cheese sauce to be grainy which was unexpected like the roux had split and would have preferred a smooth sauce but the flavours made up for it.

The sprouts were delicious with that iron charred bitterness and slightly crisp outer leaves and then with the odd spike of salty speck and sweet chestnut. And the chopped salad was a beautifully coloured array of julienne vegetables with slivers of chorizo and cheese that was presented to us as a mise en place before being tossed together expertly by a waiter.

And these side dishes lifted up  the star of the show - the steak. The Minderoo was so flavourful with a bitingly dense texture whereas the fillet was cleaner and leaner in terms of flavour. The fillet is certainly classically pleasing but the Minderoo outshone with its stronger personality and bite.

And we even had room for dessert! How could we resist?

• Madagascan Vanilla Slice with Tonka
  
• Warm Fruit Crumble with Vanilla Sauce and Icecream

Steve loves the fruit crumble as it blends some seasonal fruit with a generous toasty and crunchy topping and the accompaniment of both custard and ice cream is just too generous. Not being a stewed fruit girl, even I enjoyed the mouthful he shared, mainly because of the buttery, crunchiness of that irresistible topping

The vanilla slice was effectively a millefeuille construction of pastry layers and heavily scented vanilla cream with a snowfall of icing sugar. Classic and pure I would have loved some berries or a light fruit garnish just to cut through some of the sweetness but delicious all the same.

We were there for well over 3 hours but not one moment was lacklustre. My general opinion is that for good steak there are more budget friendly options if it's just good steak you want - the Station Hotel in Footscray comes to mind. Rockpool hasn't become any more accessible; it's still an occasion restaurant and I envy the lifestyle of those that can casually call in for lunch in the main restaurant. But given special occasions need the right amount of pomp and circumstance, Rockpool really is the ticket and is worth that premium.

We were waited on incredibly professionally by the manager that was on duty that evening. the dish we were there to try was seared tuna with a white peach and prawn salad with a sorbet dressing which was a main course. And the dish was acompanied by a beautiful glass of riesling.

We decided to enhance our experience by ordering a couple of starters to share:

• Eye fillet, truffle, sour cherry and herb tartare with fried quail's egg and fried bread
• Pan seared dusted boar with red onion salad and wild berry jus

The tartare is flavoursome and enjoyable. The sour cherry is a little lost but the truffle is there. The fried bread is an interesting triangle of hard pitta bread and I can't help but feel there could be better options to go with the tartare.

The boar is meaty and the game flavour is complemented by the sweet jus. It's not a dainty dish but I guess this style of cuisine is less about fanciful plating and more about robust heartiness!

In spite of my previous statement about presentation, the tuna was actually very attractive with colour from the fresh salad and a pale pinkness from the tuna. Taste wise it was bland with an insufficient amount of dressing. The individual items on the plate were fresh and good quality and the prawns were particularly good but the tuna was dense and unseasoned and in spite of the pinkness still over cooked so it was dry. More dressing and more seasoning required which was a shame as it looked so attractive.

The sweet potato fries were very moreish and enhanced by the aioli.

Our whole meal was pretty protein heavy but that was more our fault for ordering two meaty starters! We were well looked after, The wine cut throuhg some of that richness.

We were extremely well looked after and offered a visit to the Ice Bar which added a little bit of novelty and made our Tuesday night a little bit special!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I had the ice cream which consisted of plum, rice and stracciatella. Loved the straciatella with shards of chocolate and the rice ice cream was just like creamy vanilla really.
 
We enjoyed our long, leisurely lunch at Fatto, so much so that I returned later in the week with some friends for another grazing meal and was welcomed back warmly with great service and smiles. Fatto Bar & Cantina deserves to do well. It is so much better than what it was in its previous form as Trocadero.

Steve and I are big fans of Spice Temple and go at least once a month for yum cha on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. I think Neil has done wonders with the spicy regions of China and his interpretation of the dishes is really tasty. The service is usually friendly and efficient but never all that personal and we're never really made to feel as if we're valued regulars but in spite of that the food is what we enjoy the most so we forgive that because it's not as if we're treated badly.

As part of The Age Good Food Month celebrations, there was a Cantonese banquet and we decided to attend, I was interested in how the more subtle flavours of Cantonese cuisine that I'd grown up with would turn out.

We were seated with three other couples so 8 to a rectangular table. Both floors of the restaurant were full. There were definitely some of the more regular wait staff there augmented by a few roped in for the event I'm sure as one of the guys near us had no idea about the food, the drinks or even the table numbers!

The atmosphere was good; jovial and noisy much like a Chinese wedding banquet and the the set menu reminded me of those events I'd attended as child and teen with my parents. Neil came and gave an opening speech and then it all started.

Superior soup with pork, chicken, tofu and vermicelli

Prawn wontons with red vinegar

Roast pork belly with plum sauce

Lucky duck noodles with pickled vegetables

King Prawn stuffed tofu with special soy

Stir fried spanner crab with sweet corn and egg white

Char siu roasted tooth fish with pickled bamboo

Eight treasure chicken

Twice cooked beef cheeks with shiitake and garlic stems

Stir fried cabbage with xo sauce

Mango pudding and sago cream

It wasn't fine dining because the fact that it was an event with everyone starting at the same time made it banquet catering and when it's banquet catering I always find, you have to lower your expectations because the food is never of the standard of actual dining.

Stand out dishes for us were probably the roast pork belly and the toothfish. The pork belly had delicious crackling to it and real plum sauce that was fresh and zingy. The toothfish had a real sweetness to it reminiscent of char siu because it had been made in that same lacquered BBQ way and it wasn't unlike the black cod miso at Nobu. Highly enjoyable with the slightly tangy pickled bamboo. I also like that they brought out fresh rice with the last two meat courses so there was no cold rice situation. On the whole the dishes came out quickly and it didn't feel too dragged out which can be tedious when seated with strangers and the night feels like it's just going on and on with lots of wait time. On the upside, our dining companions were a lot of fun.

What didn't work for me included the fact that the soup came out cold. Flavours were good but the temperature was lacking. I'm not sure if that was because the soup was left to wait whilst Neil Perry finished speaking. An idea is rather than have the soup ladled out into bowls already that cook quickly due to lack of volume, is to have a big bowl or tureen and it's then dished out at the table. With larger volume, the liquid retains the heat more.

The prawns in the tofu were mushy and paste like and I don't like mushy prawns. I did like the silken tofu in the soy though. Shame the prawns added an unwelcome element.

It was an interesting way to break up the week and overall it was enjoyable. I'm not sure it was good enough to convince the Spice Temple newbie to give it another go tsas I don't think it showcased the strength and quality Spice Temple is capable of.

A dear friend of mine, Ling had her baby shower here and almost twenty of us enjoyed afternoon tea in a private room. The room was mysteriously dark with lots of shiny glass and tiles - very Gatsby esque!

We were served afternoon tea in three tier silver stands; one stand for two. Bottom tier were savouries, and then two tiers of sweetness as well as endless cups of tea.

Our waitresses were very good and really tried to help us and keep us fed and watered. We weren't the easiest crowd I can imagine. Everyone seemed to enjoy the afternoon tea and after we'd made decent in roads with the tiered stands, the food continued to come out.

We had a scoop of deliciously refreshing raspberry sorbet and also fresh scones (still warm) with jam and cream. The quality of everything was very good and we could even take home leftover cakes. I found that at times when my tea was topped up it was too weak - see pic. But the second time, the waitress spotted it and took my cup and the pot away until it brewed properly.

After everyone left, Ling and I had to gather all her amazing presents and the waitress very kindly let us take our time, pour us more tea so we could re group and figure out the best way to get the presents home. It involved us calling Lings' hubbie, Noah and he came out and enjoyed some of the leftovers and sat with us for a while whilst the waitresses cleared around us. Thanks must go to them for being so flexible and accommodating.

I would say The Waiting Room is a glamorous place for afternoon tea with a sense of occasion. I think the cakes are nicer at Hopetoun Tea Rooms but The Waiting Room offers a certain sparkle and twinkliness and glitz that is unsurpassed.

Wednesday evening and time for a mid week pick me up and girly chat time. I meet Charlotte at the new and refurbished Blue Train Cafe. The place is reasonably busy, enough to give it a bit of a buzz but plenty of tables available.

It's bright, it's breezy, the sun beams through the windows and it's all very pleasant. We sit next to the window and enjoy the view of the Yarra and we take a look at the wide and diverse menu.

The waiter is very friendly and we're torn between different food items and he helps us decide on the B.T Porky B’s - steamed buns filled with braised pork belly, cucumber, spring onion and hoisin sauce over the pea and halloumi fritters. And we also plump for the pulled roast duck, water chestnut and wood ear mushroom spring rolls with a ginger chilli soy sauce.

I've got to say when the buns arrived Iene was a little disappointed as they were so small and buried beneath a whole heap of greenery. They were tasty enough but I thought they'd be bigger, meatier, punchier...On the flip side the spring rolls were a more generous than I  expected so I guess it's evens all round.

Flavour wise the filling in the spring rolls was probably on the bland side but the dipping sauce helped. On the texture side, they were golden and crispy and so non greasy that they were deceptively healthy! So not healthy but couldn't taste that bad grease.

Charlotte had the honey leg ham, taleggio, artichokes and chives pizza which hit the spot. The topping looked generous, the pizza base thin. I don't think it was the best pizza in the world but it was good enough and it's a satisfying crowd pleaser.

I was torn between a pasta dish and the peri peri basted ½ chicken with coleslaw and charred corn on the cob. The waiter convinced me with the tender way he referred to the chicken dish. He definitely had love for the chicken. It's a generous chicken and covered in sauce; almost drenched and I can see why some people would have preferred it to be less saucy. I always though peri peri chicken would be more marinated and roasted rather than covered in sauce. I guess authenticity isn't really the main point here; it's all about taste.

I did really enjoy the chicken with the sauce and the slightly creamy coleslaw that just mellowed out some of the spice in the sauce. I'd have loved some chips to soak up the sauce though - just a few!

I enjoyed our evening at the Blue Train. It has a wide enough menu to appeal to all ages and tastes and plenty of crowd pleasers. It's not gourmet but its location, fit out and pricing will appeal to all the tourists that frequent Southbank. I thought that the pizza for under $20 was value for money. I wouldn't recommend Blue Train for being at the forefront of flavour and food but I would recommend it for groups and get togethers whereby it's about meeting up, having a chat in a pleasant environment and being in that location.