Lunch @ Wildflower

We're back at Wildflower and opting to try their 7 course degustation for lunch!



A twist on San Choi Boa - Seared Lamb with Hoisin, cucumber slivers and spring onions served on Betel Leaves. It's fresh with a wonderful sweetness from the Hoisin. An excellent start.




Poached salmon still rare in the middle sitting on a light salad of shaved cucumber and micro greens.


Konbu broth - duck gyoza - shredded duck salad



Black bread balls - pasta with okra - fattoush sitting under a seared piece of barramundi.



Seared Eye fillet on spinach with onion rings and mash potato - salad of broad beans and other legumes.





A shared platter for dessert - from bottom left - turkish delight topped with marshmallow, vanilla bean ice cream, mango sorbet, coconut ice cream, raspberry sorbet, dulce de latte ice cream, hot chocolate cake with oozing centre and malt custard tart.


The details
Wildflower
1 Theatre Place, Canterbury
Phone: 03 9888 6662
Open:
Tuesday - Saturday noon-2.30pm and 6.30-9.30pm;
Sunday: 9am+

Breakfast @ Replete Providore

Replete is one of these places that seem perpetually packed out. As we left the market before 9am we decided to fly past and chance our luck at getting a table. Even at this early hour we luckily got one of the last tables. I say lucky for as we sat sipping on our first latté the heavens suddenly erupted - I don't think I would have liked being in the market now.


Paalo's Choice: Ricotta Hotcakes with Strawberry Coulis and Lemon Curd ($12.50)

A wonderfully fluffy stack of three pancakes.


Special Tart - Puff pastry base with sautéed onions and bacon with thyme - topped with two eggs and crème fraîche. I can see myself ripping this off!


The details:
Replete Providore
302 Barkers Road, Hawthorn
Phone: 03 9818 4448
Open:
Weekdays: 7.30am - 4pm; Weekends: 7.30am - 3pm; Public Holidays: 7.30am - 3pm

www.repleteprovidore.com

Dinner @ Fenix

Yes, we are back and Fenix has reopened after their Christmas/New Years break. New dishes abound with some twists on old favourites.


Tomato poached in cranberry juice with basil ice cream
Unfortunately Paalo is alergic to cranberry juice but he managed to savour the ice-cream as it free from cranberry juice. I ended up have his tomato.



Pork Belly 2007 - the famous Pork Belly reconstructed for 2007.
The coconut noodle is now more like a long thick string reaching out to the jellied Nuoc Cham. The pork remains meltingly tender.




Sweetbreads and Calamari
Roasted Veal sweetbreads served with gnocchi of calamari and a fricassee of peas. The calamari gnocchi just dissolve in your mouth and do taste like pure calamari.






Creme Brulee 2007 - another rejigged version. The elements remain the same just their presentation has changed.


Petit Fours

Fenix can be found at
680 Victoria Street Richmond
(03) 9427 8500
Open: Tuesday - Sunday for Lunch; Tuesday - Saturday for Dinner
www.fenix.com.au

Dinner @ Magic City

When it's close to 40°C and your power has been cut along with a third of the state since 4pm you don't really feel like cooking. Your objective is to find a place that has power and is cool and have dinner there! Magic City was that place.


Paalo's choice for a starter were these cute pork sausages with sweet chutney


I elected to begin with Wasabi crusted Tuna.

For mains - Paalo enjoyed the Nonya Chicken Curry so much, he had it again.


I opted for a Spicy Prawn Curry - 6 jumbo prawns, heads-on smothered in a red chilli laden sauce and topped with a salad of mixed herbs, thai basil, mint, coriander to name a few. There's nothing like eating hot food on a hot day. The prawns were cooked perfectly.

The details
Magic City
871 Burke Road, Camberwell
Phone: (03) 9882 7788

Open 7 days from breakfast to late

Dinner @ Matteo's

As a post-birthday celebration for Al, we head off to Matteo's for a degustation.


From left to right:
[Smoked eel on rice crusted tofu, pickled plum and bonito dressing] -[Carpaccio of semi-cured hiramasa kingfish with prawn remoulade sauce and shiso dressing] - [Tuna Tataki and tartare, Japanese seaweed salad]



From left to right:
[Brendan's traditional "peking duck" pancake] - [Seared scallop and Asian style Kurobuta pork belly, shredded apple salad, green ginger-wine sauce]



From left to right:
[Sesame glazed Balmain bug tail and sauteed sweetbread, vermicelli salad with jellyfish and Yakitori sauce] - [Brioche 'charlotte' filled with mushroom ragu, truffle quail egg, porcini mushroom sauce] - [Roasted rump of wagyu beef, coconut rice, black bean, ginger and chilli sauce]


Going clockwise from top left:
[Creme brulee, tropical fruit salsa] - [coconut sorbet between sable biscuits] -[Matteo's Cspot - small warm dark chocolate ganache tartlet]


The Details:
Matteo's
533 Brunswick Street, North Fitzroy
Phone: 03 9481 1177

Open: Lunch - Sunday-Friday from noon
Dinner: 7 days from 6pm

Lunch @ Magic City

We're back for Lunch but this time it's on a Saturday. A different ambiance awaits us - perhaps it's the effects of the post new year lull but the place is empty.

Not good for them but I'm not complaining.


Spring Rolls

The usual serving is 3 rolls, since we are sharing the dish we opted to get four.


Fried Sweet Pork Salad with palm sugar dressing ($19.50)

Studded with generous sized chunks of fried pork belly - the skin wonderfully chewy and sweet.


Nonya Chicken Curry with Fragrant Rice and Chilli Soy ($25)

A real delight - the chicken soft and succulent having absorbed the delicate spices, potatoes are also present in the curry. The chilli soy is dynamite!

The details
Magic City
871 Burke Road, Camberwell
Phone: (03) 9882 7788

Open 7 days from breakfast to late