Lunch @ The Press Club

For the Queen's birthday holiday itself we've decided to enjoy a leisurely lunch at The Press Club and we've opted to try out their special Lunch Kerasma menu.

It begins with

Saganaki Martini

Next is an assortment of hot and cold tastes



marinated white anchovies, paprika marinated octopus, dolmades, marinated assorted olives, pickled cabbage and


school prawns served with a spiced honey sauce


When we're almost finished with these - two hot dishes come out


scallops on the half shell with skordalia and toasted pistachio crumbs



vine leaf wrapped par boned quail served on a quasi tartare like sauce. They are surrounded by jellied saffron cubes and an assortment of baby vegetables - fennel, leek, carrot that have been treated with a saffron infused sauce. Paalo rates this as "the best quail" he's ever eaten!

Onto the last of the savoury dishes


On the top row:
roasted lemon potatoes, chicken cooked on the spit served on white bean skordalia, sautéed garfish fillets
On the bottom row:
couscous with sultanas and almonds, beetroot tzatziki, pickled fennel, "greek salad-horiatiki"


slow cooked goat - cooked for something like 14 hours - the meat just fell apart.

If that wasn't enough - there's still dessert!



At the front is an incredible rich chocolate ganache tart with pistachio ice-cream - this is the ultimate chocolate and pistachio experience. In the martini glass is a helleniko kafe (coffee) pannacotta topped with metaxa brandy jelly, next to which is a bowl of Loukoumades (honey soaked Greek donuts) and an ouzo creme caramel.

We've been suitably impressed with our previous experiences here but today they just seemed to have gone above and beyond the call of duty - the whole philosophy behind the Kerasma menu is to be spoiled and indeed we were.

The details:

The Press Club Restaurant and Bar
72 Flinders Street
Melbourne
Phone: 03 9677 9677

Open:
Lunch: Monday - Friday and Sunday
Dinner: Monday - Sunday

web
www.pressclub.com.au