Vue de Monde

Location: Level 55, Rialto Towers, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9691 3888

Link: www.vuedemonde.com.au

Cuisine: Modern Australian, Degustation

After talking about going to Vue de Monde for years, we finally made the much anticipated trip there today. So anticipated that two of us flew back from interstate just for the meal. 

This is undoubtedly the best of Shannon Bennett's restaurants (some may recognise the name from a recent MasterChef episode featuring a peach melba dessert). The restaurant recently moved into the top floor of the Rialto Towers, which could only add to its class and prestige.

The entrance is slightly set back from the other Collins Street entrances. We walk inside and a lady greets us at the counter. After checking our booking, she escorts us to a lift. Amusingly, the lift buttons only go up to level 54, but we don't need to push anything. The lady has already arranged for the lift to take us up.

On reaching the top floor, we meet the rest of our party in the Lui Bar, and are then led to our table. The decor is simple and classy, the decor mostly wooden and lined with kangaroo skin and fur.

interior

We have a decent view from our table, although the dull greyness of Melbourne sky doesn't make it seem as impressive as it probably is.

the view from our table

The other view from our table is much more interesting. We're seated about 2 metres away from the open kitchen where the chefs do their final plating of dishes. It's like we're watching MasterChef live, but without the judges.

open kitchen

Everything in this restaurant is coordinated but different. We find a pile of rocks on our table - but they are no ordinary rocks! Removing the lid of one reveals salt flakes and ground pepper. Another is empty, for serving butter in later. The flat stones are used as bread plates, and the ones that look like piggy banks are knife holders for the meat dishes to come. 

these rocks aren't just there to look pretty

As we are seated, we are presented with a number of exquisite little dishes dubbed as 'snacks'.  These little appetisers were an exciting and light way to start the meal.

parsnip crisps with apple and chestnut sauce | celeriac, sunflower seeds

The parsnip crisps look just like packet chips, but are much more delicate and a little nuttier in flavour. The sauce provides a sweet and tangy contrast to the chips, but I would gladly eat the chips on their own.

The celeriac puree with sunflower seeds is served in small triangular filo parcels. Smooth and creamy, but nothing terribly exciting.

waiter making kangaroo rolls

One of things Vue seems particularly proud of is creating an experience that their customer's won't forget easily. The curing and rolling of the kangaroo slices is but just the beginning of the interactive dining experience we are about to enjoy. Interestingly, the waiter rolls up the slices with a pair of chopsticks.

salt cured kangaroo | oysters with lemon

This is the first time I've tasted kangaroo, and I'll admit I was a little hesitant about the idea. But as with most things, when you're at such a highly acclaimed restaurant as we are, you try everything. The kangaroo is very well cured and tastes very much like other cured meats. Neither overly gamey nor tough, it was actually quite nice to eat.

The oyster dish is essentially an oyster puree or dip, encased in a clear gelatin wrapper. The casing tastes like softened agar agar jelly, and the oyster puree is smooth and creamy.

   

smoked eel, white chocolate, caviar | duck crisps

What a contrast between these two snacks. The smoked eel was unanimously the best of the snacks - the  eel was smoky and not too tough, the caviar added a beautiful smoothness with the slight 'popping' texture. But the hero was the white chocolate, which gave each piece a sweetness that can only be likened to caramelisation but a thousand times better.

After a number of exciting snacks, the duck crisps are a little boring. The pieces are indeed crispy, but tastes dry and has to be eaten with the dip. Nothing overly special about this one. It's a little disappointing that the 'truffle marshmallow' which is on the menu and a number of earlier reviews, is not on the menu for our meal.

As we taste each of these, our waitress comes over to explain how the ordering works. For some reason the waitress has the idea that we are uneasy with ordering the degustation (which is a little confusing as none of us have mentioned anything of the sort). We ask about options and are basically persuaded to try the gastronomes degustation. The a la carte menu is not offered to us as a choice, or even mentioned. Something to note at this point is that there is a price difference of $100 between the a la carte, and the degustation (and one can only guess which one was more expensive).

We are, however, given the option of starting off with the degustation with the ability to stop it at any time and skip to dessert. With no real reason to say no, we order the gastronomes degustation and a bottle of German riesling to share.

And so begins one of the biggest meals of our lives..

pan seared scallops

For the first course, our waiter takes us to the beach, by placing a mound of sand on the plates in front of us, before eventually placing a scallop shell filled with two pan seared scallops, an emulsion of sorts and some herbs. The scallops are perfectly cooked, juicy, delicate and slightly crisp on the outside.

marron tail, tarragon butter, marron salt and marron tartare sandwich

The seafood theme is continued with a sweet succulent piece of marron tail, served with a quinelle of tarragon butter and marron salt, and a sandwich of marron tartare. The idea is to dip the marron into the butter, then into the marron salt. The marron is fresh and perfectly cooked. The butter is delightfully smooth and buttery, with a strong trace of tarragon. One of the best butters I've ever had (second only to the seaweed butter at Gordon Ramsay's Maze). The marron salt just balances out the combinations beautifully.

The marron tartare sandwich draws the entire dish together. The crispbread holding the marron is light and crunchy, whilst the tartare has a wonderful lightness and freshness to cut through the richness of the butter.

And none of the butter is wasted because the next dish to arrive is the bread.

bread served in kangaroo pouch with French butter

Bread is bread, and this bread is nothing to rave about. Two types of bread are served - a crusty sourdough like bread, and some smaller sesame seed based dinner rolls. The bread is warm, and our waiter then brings out a wooden bucket of butter (imported from France) which he expertly quinelles and sets out on one of the stones. The butter is rich and smooth, but my preference lies with the tarragon butter.

The next course is more like a science experiment than a meal - pumpkin soup made through cona infusion!

cona infused pumpkin soup 

Our waiter brings out a strange contraption made up of conical flasks filled with ingredients. As mugs of pumpkin, sour cream and herbs are set out in front of us, the waiter quickly works the machine, typically used for making coffee, and infuses a broth with an intense pumpkin and aromatic flavour. Once boiled, the infused liquid is poured over the ingredients in each mug.

Mix, and the cream combines with the liquid to form a soup. The soup is a little creamy, with a strong deep flavour. A little more cream or even some pureed pumpkin would have made the soup a little creamier though.

Soup finished, it's time for breakfast.

fried duck egg, lamb sweetbread toasted bread,
pickled onion, onion jus, shaved truffle

Eggs on toast? Soldiers? How about the fine dining version? A fried duck egg is surrounded with an onion jus, and served with pieces of lamb sweetbread, toasted sourdough, pickled onion. At the last minute, a waiter liberally grates fresh black truffle all over the egg. Ahh, truffle goodness.

Break into the egg and the rich yellow yolk runs amok, mixing into the onion jus and making a nice runny mixture to dip the sourdough into. The lamb sweetbreads have an odd chewiness to them, but it's still relatively tender to eat, and there is a subtle sweetness. The onions are sweet and provide the needed 'crunch' to the dish.

More molecular gastronomy arrives in the form of micro herbs served in a mortar. A waiter brings out liquid nitrogen and pours it over the herbs. We are instructed to pound the now-frozen herbs into a crumbly powder before a quinelle of cucumber sorbet is slipped on top.

cucumber sorbet with crushed herbs

This palate cleanser looks rather simple and sounds a little bland, but the sorbet is surprisingly fresh and sweet, reminding me of muddled cucumber in cocktails. It's almost good enough to be a dessert on its own.

barramundi, smoked bone marrow

We are brought back to seafood with some slices of barramundi fillets, with have been pan fried and served with smoked bone marrow. Aside from the caramelised crispy edge, the fish is probably one of the blander dishes on the menu. The fish is well cooked, but we keep looking for the 'wow factor', but don't seem to find it. It's not like the other dishes.

pigeon, carrot, clove, orange

Our waitress had said that game was on the menu, and game there was. Confit pigeon thigh and breast sit surrounded by some chopped carrots. An orange and clove flavoured reduction is poured over the pigeon after it is placed in front of us. The pigeon is amazingly tender and flavoursome. The carrots are a little undercooked. The hero of this dish is the intense sweetness and strong aromatics in the orange reduction - a very pleasant way to cut through some of the richness from the confit.

pigeon nest

Served at the same time is a pigeon nest - pieces of pigeon meat served in a little potato nest. It's an interesting combination of textures and flavours and adds a nice crunch to the other pigeon dish.

Our last savoury dish again arrives in components, with the terrine and beetroot on the plate, and the raw pieces of wagyu on a little portable barbecue, which the waiter cooks on skewers. Once the meat is cooked, the waiter places a slice on each of our plates, before drizzling it with a sweet beetroot sauce.

wagyu terrine, barbecued waygu fillet, beetroot

The beef is cooked rare (one of the few occasions where I have eaten something cooked less than medium) so it is amazingly tender and juicy. 

The terrine is average, it has some odd flavours we couldn't place, but it tasted much better when eaten with the apple (or pear?) puree that was in the centre of the plate.

Definitely would have preferred more of the barbecued wagyu instead of the terrine.

Savoury dishes over, the waitress brought over the cheese trolley to transition us from savouries into desserts.

assortment of cheeses | assortment of bread

(from top) rhubarb, apple, quince | figs, caramelised onion, pear

After getting an indication of preferences for types of cheese, we're given a selection of five cheeses (two goat's cheeses, a cheddar, a camembert and a washed rind). It would have been nicer to be given a brief run through all the available cheeses and then choosing our own, but the waitress seemed to set the pace and direction so we feel obliged to go with the flow. 

Usually a fan of cheese, most of these actually don't appeal to me. The goat's cheeses and the washed rind are too intense for my liking, and the cheddar, whilst sharp, doesn't have as much complexity in its flavour as I was hoping. The camembert is my favourite - smooth, creamy and not too overpowering. 

We're presented with three types of bread and a variety of jams and condiments to accompany the cheese. There's a beetroot loaf, sourdough and some thin slices of raisin toast. The beetroot loaf has an interestingly pleasant subtle flavour, but didn't taste like beetroot. The raisin toast is thinly and crispy, working well with the softer cheeses. The sourdough is, well, sourdough. The condiments were a nice sweet chewy contrast to the bread and cheeses. 

To bring us into dessert, we're presented with an 'interlude' of what the waiters dub 'beer and nuts'.

'beer and nuts' - passionfruit and licorice 'beer' with coconut sorbet

It is essentially a fizzy passionfruit and licorice soda-like drink served with small balls of coconut sorbet. A brilliantly cool and refreshing way to tantalise our tastebuds for dessert.

First of the desserts is a deconstructed Monte Carlo biscuit.

deconstructed Monte Carlo biscuit with raspberries and cream

Totally love this dish. Shards of toffee balance atop fresh raspberries bursting with juicy sweetness and cream. It has everything it needs - sweet, sour, creamy smoothness and crunch.

chocolate souffle

Last course, and we're presented with a rather large chocolate souffle. A waiter slips in a scoop of chocolate mousse at the last minute. We are a little underwhelmed by this dessert. The souffle is soft and fluffy and has puffed up and risen out of the cup well. However, I found that the souffle left an eggy flavour in my mouth - possibly from being in the oven for too long (but desserts are my forte so it could be due to any number of reasons). The mousse is smooth and rich, and is seemingly wasted melting and dissolving into a eggy souffle base.

A small platter of petit fours wraps up the meal.

petit fours

The platter has some lamingtons, eucalyptus flavoured sorbet balls, shards of chocolate and musk, and wooden board with some odd gelatinous jelly coins. The lamington is soft and fluffy, coconutty on the outside, and light and airy inside. The sorbet like balls are cold and rather pleasant to eat, however the rest of the platter is doesn't seem to blend in well.

But wait, it doesn't just end there. On leaving, we are presented with some goodies to take home, or what they call 'for the morning after'. A small loaf of brioche, a packet of granola, some rose petal and fruit tea, a mini jar of Heide honey, and some small chocolate biscuits.

Vue de Monde is not just about the brilliant food. They seem to pride themselves in providing their customers with a pleasant and entertaining dining experience, complete with all the theatrics a restaurant of this calibre and sophistication can get away with.

Everything ran like clockwork - dishes were brought out in a nice slow pace suitable for a late Sunday lunch, and the waiters worked around each other to construct the dishes that were finished at our table. We loved the theatrics, and the way the waiters engaged with us, explaining each dish and throwing in the odd joke or so.

And what a view to end the day with?

Vue de Monde is certainly an experience worth trying out at least once in your life.

Overall Impression: 9.5/10

Grazing

Location: The Royal Hotel, corner of Cork and Harp Street, Gundaroo NSW 2620
Phone: (02) 6236 8777
Link: www.grazing.com.au
Cuisine: Modern Australian

It's not often we venture out of the 'city', but when we do, we go in search of good food.

After visiting a few wineries and Robyn Rowe Chocolates, we arrived in Gundaroo for a late lunch at Grazing.

The restaurant operates from inside an old hotel and the owners have managed to keep much of the historical vibe through the set up and decor. There is even a live fireplace in most of the rooms.

The menu is extensive and very appealing. There are a number of entrées that seem relatively light, and the list of main comprises mostly of comfort food and game. Country cooking at its best.

smoked Tumut rainbow trout terrine with cucumber salad,
fresh horseradish and coriander seed pastry tuile

The smoked trout terrine is smooth, fresh and delicately flavoured. The tuile it sits atop is crisp and aromatic, which works well in contrast to the terrine. Unfortunately for me, the menu didn't warn me of the huge mound of rocket that the dish came with - I would have much preferred more cucumber. But it was an excellent dish to start off the meal.

kangaroo tail and beetroot tortellini with garden beetroot relish,
goat’s cheese and wattle seed burnt butter

I'm not the biggest fan of kangaroo, but my friends who tried this were very happy with the dish.

Braised shank and slow cooked breast of duck with sourdough
dumpling, white bean puree, cauliflower and braising jus

Duck. One of the most difficult meats to do well and Grazing did it beautifully. The duck was still pink inside, the duck fat was well rendered, and the meat was juicy and tender. The braising jus had a nice rich flavour which complemented the dish beautifully.

the ‘Grazing Pie’- Cod, scallop, mussel and riesling pie with
root vegetables, creamed leek and potato mash

Pie. Doesn't sound all that fancy, and certainly not the typical dish I'd expect on the menu for 'fine dining'. But just read the description and tell me you're not salivating. The pie was rustic-looking and sat on top of a rich creamy leek and potato mash. The golden brown puff pastry encased a steaming mixture of soft flaky pieces of fish and fresh scallops and mussels with a creamy white wine sauce. The only thing missing was some freshly cracked black pepper, which would have brought the dish up a whole new level. 

Aside from the mash being a little over seasoned, it was the perfect winter warmer.

The desserts definitely brought us back into the fancy fine dining world.

strawberry semi freddo cone with maple and hazelnut crunch,
Persian fairy floss and strawberry clouds

After a relatively heavy main, I opted for the semi freddo as a refreshing end to the meal. Strawberry yoghurt was frozen into a cone shape and coated in maple flavoured crushed hazelnuts. The cone was surrounded by fluffly fairy floss, cubes of strawberry flavoured aerated cream and crispy sugar crackers. It was the ultimate combination of textures and flavours.

garden grown quince crumble with candied fresh fig and cinnamon custard

Another winter warmer - quince and candied figs topped with a crunchy crumble, baked and served with a side of cinnamon flavoured custard.

fennel pollen scented free standing crème brulee with fresh
blackberries, carnation milk sorbet and puff pastry ‘biscuit’

Definitely an abstract take on a classic dessert. Rather than being served in a ramekin, the crème brulee was set into a square shape, and the custard was infused with fennel pollen. I personally found the flavours a little odd, and missed the dark toffee crunch of the traditional version.

The service was friendly and helpful, although the dishes took much longer to come out than expected. The dishes were good value for money (entrées $17, mains $33, desserts $16) and the ingredients were fresh and locally sourced. Totally worth the drive out.

Overall Impression: 9/10

Public Bar + Dining

Location: Cnr Flinders Way and Franklin Street, Manuka, ACT 2603
Phone: (02) 6161 8808
Link: www.publicbar.com.au
Cuisine: Bar

A friend has been talking about Public Bar for a while, so today we stopped by to grab a quick bite before heading out to the movies.

Public is located on the corner of its block, which means that, unlike most bars, it gets a fair bit of natural sunlight flowing in through the large glass windows.  

There's a fairly extensive menu (especially for a bar) which ranges from freshly shucked oysters to burgers, pizzas and tapas style sharing plates. We order food and cider and sit ourselves next to one of the windows.

steak sandwich with roquette, free range egg, romas,
caramelised onion, tomato chilli relish & aioli

My friend's steak sandwich is huge and comes served on a large wooden board with a side of fries. Plenty of accolades for this pub favourite.

sand whiting, tempura battered with apple aioli and chilli oil 

I was after something a little lighter, and the apple aioli on the menu caught my eye. The barman must have been a little confused, because I asked whether how the fish was served and he said it came as one piece. How wrong he was, although I did have a suspicion that the sand whiting sounded a little like white bait.

The whiting fillets were small and there was more batter than there was fish. But the batter was crisp and not laced with oil as some fried fish can be. The highlight was definitely the apple aioli and chilli oil dipping sauce. The aioli was smooth and garlicky, with a fresh hit of apple that cut through the creaminess. This was contrasted with the chilli oil surrounding the aioli, designed to give the dip a bit of a kick. It was a beautiful combination of flavours that I wouldn't mind served with wedges or chips.

Best part of all, they had Monteith's cider on tap!

Overall Impression: 8/10

Tazio Birraria Pizzeria Cucina

Location: 66 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, 3000
Phone: (03) 9654 9119
Link: www.tazio.com.au
Cuisine: Italian

It's been a long time since I'd been to Tazio - another one of those little places that I was taken to whilst clerking down the 'Paris-end' of Collins Street all those years ago. Back then, I was impressed with their pizzas, so when a friend suggested we head there for a catch up dinner, I was all up for it.

spaghetti con le cozze (mussels) w/ fresh tomotoes, rocket and garlic crumbs

We started off with just four of us - and all three of them opted for the spaghetti.  Good reviews all round. I would have ordered it but for the rocket.

Instead, I ordered the lamb ragu risotto. Now, I've never had lamb with risotto before, but having been suitably impressed with lamb ragu with pasta before, I thought it was a worth the risk.

rustic lamb ragu risotto w/ fresh pea and mint

I was impressed. The risotto arrived looking a little too stodgy but it was all in the presentation. The risotto itself was the equivalent of 'al dente' for rice, soft enough to eat, but cooked just right that the individual grains of rice were still identifiable.  The ragu was rich with flavours of lamb, tomato and carrot. The lamb itself was soft and fell apart with minimal effort. A good combination and a very filling meal.

Waiting for the remainder of our crew to arrive, we ordered dessert. After a few comments from the waitress, we ended up all ordering the same dessert - chocolate pudding.

chocolate pudding with vanilla bean creme fraiche

No regrets at all. The chocolate pudding was served warm, with an almost gooey fondant like texture inside, and a nice solid outershell. The chocolate sauce was rich and decadent, and not too sweet. The strawberries and creme fraiche helped to cut through the richness of the pudding and sauce. The one thing that was missing was an element of crunch. And I personally would have preferred ice-cream instead of the creme fraiche. 

Service was pleasant and our waitress was one of the most hospitable ones I've encountered, particularly since it was the night before the Easter long weekend and there place was packed with people out for after work drinks. She was also very tolerant as we continually added more people to our table and brought out more water and empty glasses, even though we didn't order much more after dessert.

Overall Impression: 8.5/10

The Aylesbury - express lunch menu

Location: 103 Lonsdale Street Melbourne 3000
Phone: (03) 9077 0451
Link: theaylesbury.com.au
Cuisine: Spanish

I'm not even back in Canberra yet and I'm already posting. I guess this is what happens when the choice is between doing this, going to bed early or doing uni assignments.

Off the plane and it was straight off to lunch at the Aylesbury.  This time it's the $30 express lunch menu - choice of entrée and main, finished off with a petit four and either coffee or tea.

For entrée, there's a choice of oysters, beetroot and goat's cheese or lamb ribs. I go for the oysters - there's a lack of decent seafood in Canberra and I've had the lamb before (and as amazing as it was last time, I wanted something different).

Sydney rock oysters

The oysters were served fresh, accompanied with a zingy vinaigrette and a wedge of lemon. Simple and brilliant.

For mains there was a choice between market fish, gnudi and steak. The tarragon shallot butter intrigues me, so I opt for the steak.

steak, tarragon shallot butter

It's not until it arrives that I realise I haven't been asked how I want it cooked. It's a little too close to the well done side of things for my liking, but they have somehow managed to keep the meat from drying out (possibly from all the butter). The butter is glossy and fragrant from the tarragon and shallot. The dish is topped with crispy fried onion rings - the rings are indeed crispy, but there is more batter than there is onion.

All in all, it's another pleasant dining experience at the Aylesbury. The staff are again polite, friendly and helpful. The express lunch is a good deal - good value and good quality food. But it lacked the 'wow factor' that I got from my last visit. I think I'll be sticking to the a la carte from now on.

Overall Impression: 8.5/10

Hellenic Republic

Location: 434 Lygon Street, Brunswick East 3057
Phone: (03) 9381 1222
Link: www.hellenicrepublic.com.au

Cuisine: Greek

Another place that's been on my wishlist for a while has been George Calombaris' Hellenic Republic. Not exactly in the CBD, the place has often been brushed aside for a restaurant within the CBD. But not this time, we ventured out beyond the CBD to satisfy a craving for pita bread, dips and traditional Greek spit roasted meats.

Tram numbers 1 or 8 will get you to the Brunswick end of Lygon Street, and stop 126 is located directly outside the restaurant, about 25 minutes tram ride from Flinders Street Station.

Immediately upon entering, the amazing aromas of spit roasted meat hit us. A waitress shows us to our seats, and offer us a plate of mixed olives whilst we wait for our third member to arrive.

warm mixed olives

Again, we knock back the set menu (or what they call 'trapezi') in favour of designing our own menu.

We can't go past the pita bread with dips, and the waitress helpfully suggests we order a half serve of each dip (there are three) so that we can try them all.

warm pita bread with dips (clockwise from top-left): melitzanosalata (roasted eggplant, miso, tahini),
taramosalata (white cod roe dip) and tzatziki (cucumber, dill, garlic, olive oil and yoghurt)

The bread is warm, soft and fluffy inside, and tastes great even without the dips. But that's not why we've ordered it. The dips are divine. The roasted eggplant dip is unlike any other eggplant dip I have ever had before. At first taste, the first thing that hits you is the sweetness and there doesn't seem to be much eggplant flavour at all, Eventually, the subtle roasted eggplant flavour comes through, before the smokiness from the miso and tahini. It's a beautifully smooth texture, with a brilliant combination of flavours that just dance on the tongue.

The tamosalata is the saltier of the dips. It's a bit of a cross between a smoked salmon dip and an anchovy paste, but with the acidic flavour of lemons to cut through the saltiness. 

Tzatziki - the classic hero of Greek dips. Amazingly fresh, the yoghurt was light, smooth and creamy, the cucumber was fresh and crunchy and the garlic and olive oil were perfectly balanced. 

Having run out of bread, we save the dips to eat with the meats.

Having had an amazing corn-on-the-cob experience at Mamasita (yes yes, I still haven't done the review), this Greek version caught my eye and my curiosity would not let me skip it.

kalamboki - sweet corn, spiced butter, smoked almonds, kefalograviera

And it was amazing. Completely different to Mamasita's, but in a good way. The corn was smoky from the chargrill and served warm topped with a beautiful spiced butter and shaved kefalograviera cheese that was just starting to melt. The corn was sweet and juicy and the cheese was subtle. Slivers of smoked almonds were then scattered on top and around to provide yet another contrasting texture. Overall, a top dish. I could eat a whole meal of just this.

tyri saganaki - kefalograviera with peppered figs

Saganaki, another Greek classic that we just couldn't go past. Although, Hellenic Republic put its own spin on this classic by pairing the fried kefalograviera with sweetened peppered figs. Whilst not the biggest fan of the figs (I found them a little too sweet for my liking), I must admit the combination of flavours worked. The sweet peppery flavours of the fig cut through some of the heaviness of the fried cheese, and also provided a contrasting texture to the dish. 

meat platter: arni sto fourno (slow roasted shoulder of lamb, garlic, oregano)
and kotopoulo psistaria (Hazeldene’s free range chicken from the spit)

When I hear of Greek meat, my expectations skyrocket. We ordered the slow roasted lamb shoulder and the spit roasted chicken. Possibly because we had already eaten so much, but also possibly because I had set such high expectations for the quality of the meat, I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the meats were beautifully soft and tender. The lamb fell apart very easily, and the chicken was moist. But I found that both meats lacked seasoning compared to other Greek meats I've had in the past. I was expecting much stronger flavours - without which, the meat was more or less ordinary (but very well roasted) meat.

This was where the leftover dips from earlier came into play. The tzatziki went amazingly well with the lamb (classic combination of lamb and tzatziki), and the lemon flavours from the taramosalata paired very well with the chicken.

sides: tiganites patates (potatoes fried in olive oil, oregano, salt)
and patzari salata (beetroot salad, cumin yoghurt, coriander)

Sides, sides, sides. We probably could have done without these - or should have picked something a little different. The potatoes were relatively ordinary - reminding me a little of the duck fat potatoes from the Aylesbury, but without the duck fat. The beetroot salad was tasty, but the cumin gave the yoghurt a slightly odd taste. Given the selection of dishes we had ordered, we might have been better off with a lighter salad.

After standing in line for half an hour to buy some loukoumathes at the Canberra Multicultural Festival a few weeks earlier, there was no way I was going to pass by these Hellenic donuts.

loukoumathes - Hellenic donuts, local honey, walnuts, cinnamon

The donuts were crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, although at the end of a big meal, leaned a little to the heavy side. They were then coated with a thick honey syrup then sprinkled with walnuts and cinnamon. The honey was extremely sweet, and I made the first mistake of cutting open a donut, and dousing the inside with more honey. Big mistake. The walnuts provided a nutty relief to the honey overdose. 

Bakalava Yianniotiko

I've never been the biggest fan of baklava, but no Greek feast would be complete without it. The pastry on the top and bottom of each piece was built from several layers of filo pastry almost glued together from the honey (or was it sugar syrup?). The nuts inside were chopped finely and tightly packed together. Whilst I found the baklava too sweet, it was one of the better ones I've had before.

Greek coffee

H chose to finish her meal off with a Greek coffee. I personally could not understand why, the coffee was strong, bitter and grainy. But regardless of my opinion (and given I admittedly do not know much about coffee), H enjoyed hers.

Service was friendly and pleasant, and despite having told us on booking that we could only have the table for two hours, we were allowed to stay for longer. There was definitely a friendly warm atmosphere within the restaurant, and it was relatively loud, so it was nice that the tables were fairly well spaced out.

Overall Impression: 9/10

Money Order Office

Location: Driver Lane (near corner Bourke/Elizabeth Streets), Melbourne 3000
Phone: (03) 9639 3020
Link: www.moneyorderoffice.com.au
Cuisine: Tapas, Modern Australian, European

One place that's been on my list for a long time now has been Money Order Office, and on my latest trip back to Melbourne, I finally had the opportunity to try it out.

Tucked away at the end of a little laneway opposite GPO, Money Order Office isn't exactly the easiest place to find. It has a cute little exterior, and upon entering, you descend down some steps before an automatic glass door opens for you. We suspect there is a sense somewhere on the stairs, but we couldn't find it (not that we tried very hard).

Inside the ambiance is classy but relaxed. The lighting is dim, and there are seats in booths, as well as proper tables. We're allocated a nice booth along one of the walls with a nice view of the rest of the restaurant.

A waitress introduces herself and runs through the 8-course chef's selection for the evening. It's her first night  on the job, and I'm very impressed that most of the dishes roll off her tongue with little hesitation.

Despite the degustation sounding lovely, we opt to design our own menu for the night. A couple of small bites, two larger share dishes and a salad.

First out is the charcuterie. I think Cumulus Inc, Coda and the Aylesbury have spoiled me when it comes to cured meat, and charcuterie has become almost a staple for me when dining tapas-style.

charcuterie - serrano ham, chorizo-style cured meat and salami with pickles 

This charcuterie board came with a selection of three types of cured meats - a serrano ham, a chorizo-style meat (the name of which escapes me) and a type of salami - accompanied by mixed pickles and a few slivers of raw garlic. The serrano ham was salty and with a delicate texture very similar to thinly sliced pancetta. The chorizo style meat was a little heavier with a subtle smokey flavour and slightly more chewy. The salami was what you would expect of salami, but again delicately sliced. Impressed? Yes. A good appetiser start to the meal!

Being avid seafood fans, the next dish that came out had us almost salivating just from reading the menu description.

crab & avocado toast - sous vide spanner crab on avocado toast, served with a spiced watermelon gazpacho 

Toast is a little misleading, because the base was more of a crispy cracker than anything bread-like (I'm going to refrain from making a tax-related joke). The cracker was topped with a mound of sweet and juicy diced crab meat, pieces of creamy avocado and a squeeze of fresh lime. The freshness of the topping was evident from the first bite and an amazing taste sensation.  The watermelon gazpacho was served shooter-style (designed to be shot after eating the 'toast'). We ignored those instructions, and whilst the other two found the taste a little odd (shot it before finishing off their 'toast'), I found it went surprisingly well eaten with the 'toast'. For me, this was dish of the night.

The next dish was an interesting one that we had never seen nor heard of before, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. (Wikipedia tells me that a 'brandade' is an emulsion of salt cod and olive oil.)

salted cod brandade with fennel jam, green olives and broccoli

The dish was definitely different. Pieces of salted cod were tossed through were small pieces of broccoli, small green olives and fresh fennel which was then placed atop a mound of fennel puree. The salted cod was fairly salty, and went well with the subtle flavours of the fennel. I wasn't entirely sure of what role the broccoli or olives were meant to play, but the dish itself was quite pleasant to eat.

My fascination for pork belly always seems to override the risk that I may be disappointed by yet another badly done pork belly (too dry, too oily, too bland and not crunchy enough are the usual faults). So we took a gamble and ordered the pork belly from the list of larger dishes. One thing caught my eye the most with this menu entry - the cider foam.

twice cooked pork belly with jamon, savoy cabbage & cider foam

I was not disappointed. The pork belly was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned and the crackling was crispy. Not quite Red Spice Road, but this was good in its own way. The meat was tender and had retained most of its juices and the fat was well-rendered such that the meat did not taste too oily or fatty. The savoy cabbage had been softened through either blanching or stewing, which brought out its natural sweetness (I'm not the biggest fan of the cutting taste of raw cabbage). And the cider foam was definitely a venture into molecular gastronomy. The cider used was sweet and lightly tangy without a very strong beer taste, and had been aerated to a consistency just lighter than that of whipped cream.

Our other meat dish was a slow cooked duck breast.

slow cooked duck breast with cauliflower puree, plum jam (right) & orange caramel

Whilst the other dishes had come out in fairly quick succession, the duck took its sweet time coming out. But when it was finally brought out, it didn't disappoint. The duck meat was still tender and soft, although perhaps a little overdone. The cauliflower puree was smooth and creamy, providing a nice base which soaked up some of the duck juices. The plum jam and orange caramel provided a nice sweet and zingy contrast to the gamey flavour of the duck.

heirloom tomatoes, shallots, goats curd, basil & apple cider vinaigrette

To finish it all off, the we ordered the heirloom tomato salad. The salad consisted of a few types of tomatoes, shallots and creamy pieces of goats curd, drizzled in fresh cider based dressing.

Service was extremely polite and pleasant, and aside from the duck, the dishes came out very quickly. Definitely a highly recommended place - particularly if you're fan of Cumulus, Coda or the Aylesbury.

Overall Impression: 9.5/10

Urban Food Store + Cafe

Location: Cnr Edinburgh and Marcus Clarke Streets, Acton 2601
Phone: (02) 6162 3440
Link: www.outincanberra.com.au/urbanfoodstorecafe
Cuisine: Breakfast, Cafe

It's been a while since my last review, and it hasn't been completely due to the lack of eating. Although I must say, after two years in our nation's capital, I still haven't found much on the food scene that I've been that impressed with. There's a couple of 'regulars', but all in all, it's not Melbourne.

Something that has been a bit of a highlight over the past two years has been the lazy weekend brunches. If anything, these cafes can do a decent breakfast that's big enough to definitely cater for the two meals brunch is supposed to substitute for. And they've generally been worth waking up 'early' for.

That brings me to the latest brunch adventure. Due to the heavy downpour of rain (so much for it never raining in Canberra...), we decided against walking into the city and took a car to Acton.

Urban Food falls into the stereotypical category of upbeat cafe. Decent portion sizes, organic and fresh produce, good coffee and a mishmash of wooden and aluminium decor.

Despite the place bustling, we're seated within a couple of minutes, and menus are already on the table. I skip the first page of 'the usuals' and launch straight into the fancier dishes - if I'm going to pay for breakfast, I'm going to order something I can't make at home.

A couple of dishes catch my eye but I settle on the zucchini and corn fritters. It's a bit of a gamble, as fritters can sometimes err on the side of being too heavy,  but I've heard good things about Urban Food and am keen to see how they go.

zucchini and corn fritters, with bacon, poached egg, wilted spinach and smokey BBQ sauce

They live up to expectations. The fritters are light and fluffy but hold together enough to remain in a stack for presentation purposes. Flavour-wise, it's well seasoned and the corn kernels provide a fresh zing and different texture to the otherwise smooth zucchini and batter mix. The bacon is crispy but not burnt, and the poached egg is so perfectly poached that after cutting apart the whites, the yolk is still runny yet intact. The BBQ sauce is sweet and smokey and fairly strong, so I'm glad they've put it on the side. It works really well with the fritters, but you don't need much of it.

M orders the bacon, hash and eggs, with a side of lamb sausages. The dish looks great, the potato is seasoned with bacon pieces and dill. The sausages are nicely browned. Good feedback.

bacon, hash and eggs with lamb sausages and roasted Truss tomatoes

Service is pleasant despite the place buzzing with customers, and the wait isn't as long as one might expect from a place with so many customers and such an extensive menu. I'm no coffee expert, but my mocha has the same aroma as the one I had at Farmers Daughter, and I've been assured that it's what a 'good coffee' tastes like.

Definitely worth missing a sleep in for!

Overall Impression: 9/10