You'd think finding some place nice to go for lunch on a Saturday would be easy. Wanting to try something new we initially tried calling Restaurant 312 but surprisingly found that at 11am they weren't answering their phone even though they are supposed to be open at 12. As we were on the road so to speak, I decided to use the mobile to check out their website to clarify their opening times - how annoying was it to discover that I couldn't access the site without installing flash!
As a side, now that I'm home and able to check the site, I would make sure I would never hire commedia to design anything remotely functional.
We eventually did find someplace to go and that was The Argo.
We quite like these quite dining rooms but it's as bad as that for the restaurant - two private rooms are booked with functions leaving us with the luxury of the room to ourselves.
For starters:
Paalo's choice: poached egg, mushroom fricassee, parsley and pickled black truffle ($18.50)
These were some of the best mushrooms we've ever tasted - you definately needed bread to soak up the wonderful pan juices.
My Choice: cured beef fillet, celeriac remoulade, watercress puree ($21.50)
A sugar influenced cure is used to "cook" a rather narrow eye fillet, the meat changing colour from a deep dark brown around the outer edge to a bright red core. It's very tender and slightly sweet and works well with the faintly acidic mustard seed dressing.
For mains:
My Choice: rolled roast rabbit, date and almond couscous, smoked paprika ($29.50)
To the left are three discs of the stuffed rabbit - it has been stuffed with a chicken based filling that is almost mousse like in consistency. On the date and almond couscous are 4 roasted ribs of rabbit.
A thoroughly enjoyable dish.
Paalo's Choice: roast duck breast, duck neck sausage, foie gras ($32.50)
Sliced duck breast - nicely pink inside
Duck neck sausage on a bed of braised puy lentils
Frisee salad with potato and duck kidney and to the right, seared Foie gras with paprika
Side: green beans and sheep milk fetta ($8.50)
Cheese ($18.50)
Finally desserts -
My choice: Orange and Almond Sponge, Moscato Syrup, Candied zest ($13.50)
The moscato syrup is served separately and it's up to you to decide how much to use - the sponge is as light as could be with distinct flavours of orange and almond.
Paalo's choice: pear strudel, gingerbread, almond sabayon ($14.50)
Paalo ordered this because he just loved the sound of the almond sabayon and it was as good as he had imagined - that the strudel and the gingerbread were also delicious was a bonus.
We have in the past heard good things about The Argo and for our first visit we can certainly see why. The service is friendly and efficient and the food is honest - good produce, good flavours and consistently good over the meal. It certainly deserves a revisit.
The details
The Argo
64 Argo Street, South Yarra
Phone: 9867 3344
Open:
Lunch: Wednesday - Sunday
Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday
web:
www.theargo.com.au
Saturday, April 05, 2008
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