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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Lunch @ Church St Enoteca

Time to de-stress with a long lunch at Church Street Enoteca.

For starters:

church st enoteca© by Haalo

mixed mushrooms, 60º egg yolk, parsley puree

This is always a good option from the menu - flavourful but not too heavy and that egg yolk is perfectly runny

church st enoteca© by Haalo

quail and mushroom pie on pea puree

How pretty is that? Fact is that it tastes even better than it looks. Inside that beautiful pastry case is a mix of good sized quail pieces and mushrooms. The pie sits on a base of tasty pea puree and a rich and thick jus.

For mains:

We both opted for the same dish from the Day's Special Menu

church st enoteca© by Haalo

Wagyu sirloin, horseradish cream, ox tail ragu sauce

church st enoteca© by Haalo

A generously sized wagyu ribeye - oh so incredibly tender. Easily one of the best pieces of meat we've enjoyed.



The details:

Church St Enoteca
527 Church Street, Richmond

Phone: 9428 7898

Restaurant Open:
Lunch: Monday-Friday 12-3pm
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 6pm to late

Web:
www.churchstenoteca.com.au

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Dinner @ Koots Salle A Manger

It's a last minute decision but we've managed to snare a booking at Koots Salle à Manger.

As usual we begin with a couple of glasses of 1999 Pol Roger - which proves to be an excellent match to the amuse

Koots Salle à Manger© by Haalo

of Oyster with vodka, ginger and lime granita and salmon roe.


For starters:

Koots Salle à Manger© by Haalo
Black angus beef tartare with condiments & a fried quail egg

Unlike the previous version Paalo enjoyed here, this one comes with the accompaniments mixed into the beef and is served as a large, flattish disc - for a change it is topped with a barely fried quail egg. It certainly gets those taste buds going.


Koots Salle à Manger© by Haalo
Slow-cooked green lip abalone served with and crispy confit pork belly, raspberry vinegar glaze

My turn to enjoy this dish. Last time I didn't get to try the pork as it was Ash Wednesday so I didn't know what I was missing out on. This has to be one of the best examples of pork belly I've had in quite a while - the skin almost caramel like while the flesh just fell apart. While the abalone are fabulous, the pork is certainly just as good.

For mains:

Koots Salle à Manger© by Haalo
Roasted Golden Plains pork fillet with braised Mt Zero green lentils, pomme fondante & stuffed pig’s trotter

The stuffed pig trotter is presented at the far right of the plate - a compact cylinder, the trotter skin is wrapped around the meat based stuffing. A wonderfully lickable, dense and sticky sauce is drizzled over the components.


Koots Salle à Manger© by Haalo
Free range chicken leg cooked two ways with “poule au pot” vegetables

A rather plump leg stands in the center of the plate, underneath are thick slices of a stuffed chicken leg. A very honest dish where the quality of ingredients and their natural flavours are allowed to speak for themselves.

Cheese:

Koots Salle à Manger© by Haalo
Pont l'Eveque at the front, Comté Gruyere to the right and at the back, a french goat cheese


Dessert:

Koots Salle à Manger© by Haalo
Dessert Plate to share:
white chocolate sponge with strawberry salad; creme brulee; madeleine, chocolate ganache; panna cotta, sorbet



The details:

Koots Salle à Manger
479 Glenferrie Road
Kooyong

Phone: 9822 3809

Open:
Lunch - Tuesday to Friday
Dinner - Tuesday to Saturday

web:
www.koots.com.au

Koots on Urbanspoon

Monday, April 20, 2009

Lunch @ Church St Enoteca

For starters:

Church St Enoteca© by Haalo
Niçoise Salad (Daily Market Special Menu)

I love those circles of tuna - browned on one side only and those soft runny yolks, a really great version of Niçoise.

Church St Enoteca© by Haalo
Octopus, slow cooked in olive oil, warm salad of chorizo and kipflers, parsley, garlic, lemon


For mains:


Church St Enoteca© by Haalo

House made potato gnocchi, ragu of braised ox cheek, peas, gremolata

Very impressive gnocchi, pillowy soft with a great potato flavour. The ox cheek ragu is beautifully rich, the cheek as tender as the gnocchi.

Church St Enoteca© by Haalo

Stuffed duck breast, parsnip puree (Daily Market Special Menu)


The details:

Church St Enoteca
527 Church Street, Richmond

Phone: 9428 7898

Restaurant Open:
Lunch: Monday-Friday 12-3pm
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 6pm to late

Web:
www.churchstenoteca.com.au

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Dinner @ Vue de Monde

It's my birthday and we're off to celebrate at Vue de Monde. Normally this would be an absolute highlight but unfortunately as it happens, the cold and eye infection that I've been trying to hold off has begun to take charge. I suppose I could have stayed home and go out next week but that would be a rather miserable way to spend your birthday. So even though my sense of taste has been affected, I'd rather go out to dinner.

Because of this reduction of taste I'm not going to say too much about the dishes on offer.

We begin with glasses of an incredibly rare 1996 Yarra Yering Late Disgorged Blanc de Noir. It was recently discovered at the winery and has spent 12 years on lees!


Vue de Monde© by Haalo
Amuse Bouche:
Cold Pressed heirloom tomato consommé served with a tomato tart, cured Spanish mackerel, topped with baby basil

Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Crabe Sauté accompagné de Caviar

King Crab, sautéed, served with clear bisque ravioli, Osetra caviar and noodle
Drink: 2007 Wittman Riesling Morstein Grosses Gewachs


Vue de Monde© by Haalo

It's the first of several dishes where distillation plays a part. There are various textures and preparation of crab, the clear jelly of the ravioli are formed from a bisque distillation, the darker jelly noddle formed from the liquid remaining after distillation.

Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Linquine et Risoni Aux Champignons
Linguine and Risoni cooked in cep stock served with shimejji mushrooms
Drink: NV Barbeito Madeira Sercial


Vue de Monde© by Haalo
The linguine are coloured and infused with flavour from their cooking in cep stock.


Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Textures of Tuna


Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Foie Gras en Cigare
Foie Gras cigar and edible charcoal
Drink: 2006 Franz Hass Traminer Aromatico

This is a dish that had as all confused. You see, this looks exactly like one the desserts we've had here before - a smoking chocolate cigar served with edible charcoal and it's too early for dessert

This "cigare" is filled with a foie gras mousse!

Vue de Monde© by Haalo



Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Filet de Saint-Pierre aux Douze Epices
Fillet of John Dory crusted with potato scales served with vegetable carpaccio and twelve spice sauce
Drink: 2005 Chestnut Hill Chardonnay


Vue de Monde© by Haalo
Jus au verjus - Liquid Verjus at -8ºC

This is a dish you have to watch closely. When the glasses are set before you, there's a frozen ball of pomegranate at the bottom of the glass - when they pour over the liquid verjus over it, the ice crystals start to grow, magically forming a tall pyramid in the glass. Hard to describe, really intriguing to watch

Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Déclinaison de Boeuf
Four textures of beef, chequerboard of white polenta and beef shin, crispy chilli intercostal, confit of sirloin and flank, with pumpkin and yuzu stuffed baby squash
Drink: 2006 S C Panell Nebbiolo

Quite the impressive dish - I loved the way the white polenta and beef shin shared the same texture, the intercostal counters with crispness and spice.

Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Canneloni a la Bolognaise et Lievre Poché
Hare bolognaise filled cannelloni served with poached loin and pea purée
Drink: 2004 Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon


Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Roti de Porc
Roast Kurobuta Pork Belly with pork rillette pancake and panada stuffed baby apple
Drink: 2004 Kanonkop Paul Saurer


Vue de Monde© by Haalo
Fromage
Chevrot goat's cheese served with mushroom soil and baby beetroot
Drink: 2007 Santa Rita Late Harvest Moscatel


Vue de Monde© by Haalo

The baby beetroot are in the pot and are skewered on liquorice bark

Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Salade de Fruits
Orange Raspberry snow crystals topped with Marsala Zabaglione


Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Sago au Cassis et Fruits des Bois
Deconstructed cassis sago pudding with berries and bubblegum ice cream
Drink: 2006 Bella Ridge Estate Kyoho


Vue de Monde© by Haalo

Tartare de Figues et Chocolate Blanc Chaud
Tartare of figs with white chocolate and marscarpone mousse, finished with warmed honey oil
Drink: 2006 Rivera Moscato di Trani

Finally I get to try this dessert! It comes to the table with a white chocolate lid - the warmed honey oil is then poured over, melting the chocolate virtually on contact.

Vue de Monde© by Haalo



The details:

Vue de Monde
Normanby Chambers
430 Little Collins Street
Melbourne
Phone: 03 9691 3888

Open:
Lunch: Tuesday - Friday Bookings:12.00pm-2.00pm
Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday Bookings:6.30pm-9.30pm

web:
www.vuedemonde.com.au

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Lunch @ Church St Enoteca

There's quite a few new dishes on the a la carte menu and naturally we can't resist trying them.

For starters:

Church St Enoteca© by Haalo

Quail - boned and filled with pork, chestnuts and shiitakes, steamed in cavolo nero, quail consommé

This is quite a delicate offering, the consomme is very light and soothing

Church St Enoteca© by Haalo

Octopus - slow cooked in olive oil, warm salad of chorizo and kipflers, parsley, garlic, lemon

The octopus has just the most amazing texture, I don't think we've enjoyed one this tender. The octopus and kipflers have been sliced into discs and you'll be hard pressed to decide which is more tender. Make sure you have plenty of bread - you'll want to mop up those lovely juices.

For mains:

Church St Enoteca© by Haalo

Pork and Fennel Sausage Risotto with Lentils


Church St Enoteca© by Haalo

Duck breast & mushrooms

Cheese:

Church St Enoteca© by Haalo

Ironstone Cheddar, Lochleilan Kaarimba and Strzelecki Blue

The details:

Church St Enoteca
527 Church Street, Richmond

Phone: 9428 7898

Restaurant Open:
Lunch: Monday-Friday 12-3pm
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 6pm to late

Web:
www.churchstenoteca.com.au

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Lunch @ Les Boucheries Parisiennes

It's been a little while between visits so it's time to redress the situation.

For starters:

Les Boucheries Parisiennes© by Haalo
Cheese Soufflé, pineapple & ginger chutney, parmesan tuile (from Lunch Menu)

You really can't go wrong when you order the soufflé - the interior is deliciously soft and creamy

Les Boucheries Parisiennes© by Haalo
Appetiser Plate - top row - Cheese Soufflé - Oysters with Salmon Roe - Caramelized Scallops potato blini, mushroom duxelle, horseradish foam
bottom row - Duck Liver Parfait toasted brioche, blood orange reduction - Escargots de Bourgogne gently cooked in garlic butter - Atlantic Salmon basil & tomato spaetzle, olive tapenade

I did manage to nibble on a few of these - Paalo generously handing over one of those fantastic scallops.

As a treat, the kitchen very kindly sends out this next dish for us to share

Les Boucheries Parisiennes© by Haalo

Soft Shell Crab zucchini & lemon spaghetti, smoked tomato gazpacho

I just love soft shell crab and this was an exceptionally good specimen - a great combination of crisped shell and fleshy interior, the smoked tomato gazpacho is quite special.

For mains:

Les Boucheries Parisiennes© by Haalo

Chicken Breast parma ham, forestierre mushrooms, pomme rosti , truffle jus (from Lunch Menu)

The fantastic presentation is equalled by the taste. The chicken breast is stuffed and rolled, served in thirds that sit on small potato roesti rounds.


Les Boucheries Parisiennes© by Haalo

Merguez Sausage Diced beef and lamb, cracked pepper & sea salt, Red paprika (from Speciality Menu )
This comes served with pommes frittes and scissors to cut through those excellent meaty sausages.



The details:

Les Boucheries Parisiennes
268 Toorak Road, South Yarra

Phone: (03) 8256 1636

Open:
Lunch - Tuesday to Sunday: 12pm to 2.30pm
Dinner - Tuesday to Saturday: 6pm to late

Web:
www.lesboucheries.com.au