Dinner @ Vue de Monde

A fitting way to celebrate Paalo's birthday is a visit to Vue de Monde.




Amuse Bouche - Pea and jamon soup with a jamon tartare served with confit quail yolk on a lettuce raft



RAVIOLI D'AVOCAT ACCOMPAGNÉ DE CAVIAR
Open Avocado ravioli of blue swimmer crab with watermelon, pumpernickle and Osetra caviar



LINGUINI ET RISONI AUX TRUFFLES
Linguini cooked in cep stock served with freshly shaved Manjijmu truffle and Risoni with Manjimup truffle jelly







BOUILLABAISSE ‘EN CINQ MINUTES’ ET TARTARE D’ÉCREVISSE
5 minute bouillabaisse with tartare of crayfish, buffalo milk skin,finished with aromatic herbs and a touch of theatre



CARPACCIO DE FOIE GRAS
Carpaccio of foie gras with fennel, pear and verjus sauce





TRUITE POCHÉE
Poached coral trout, with spring onion, parsley purée, orange and spices



ÉCREVISSE À L'ORANGE
Marron, poached in an orange saffron sauce with smoked clams and fennel





activity


POULET AUX CHAMPIGNONS
Poached breast and confit leg of chicken with handmade Brussels sprouts and mushroom reduction


Liquid Hibiscus


more action


LIÈVRE POCHÉ
Poached loin of hare with a garlic purée, chestnut, yeast air and bread lattice


ROTI DE PORK
Roast Kurobuta pork belly with pork rillette pancake and panada stuffed baby apple





FROMAGE
Whipped Ironstone Gouda sandwich with pistachio cracker and crispy bacon


kiwi lollypop with berry zabalione


COULANT AU CHOCOLAT BLANC
White chocolate coulant filled with a white chocolate and Poire William mousse served with pear and white pepper gel and liquorice powder





BISCUIT AU CHOCOLAT
Michel Bras' classic self-saucing Valrhona chocolate biscuit with mocha sauce, coffee and milk powder and iced double cream





quiet


petit fours

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

Event @ Church Street Enoteca

Receiving an invitation to attend Bass Phillip's launch at Church Street Enoteca was an offer to good to refuse.



On tasting tonight, 17 wines over 5 courses which include Pinot Rosé, Chardonnay, Gamay and Pinot Noir.







Before dinner we mingled with glasses of 2004 and 2007 Pinot Rosé



and enjoyed spoon starters of Bultarra saltbush lamb tartare with wild mushrooms



Before long it was time to take our seats in the dining room





Wines for the first course - left to right - 2001 Estate Chardonnay, 2004 Estate Chardonnay, 2007 Estate Chardonnay, 2007 Premium Chardonnay

2001/2004 had full malolactic fermentation (MLF) while the 2007 had inhibited MLF. The 2007 Premium was bottled 4 weeks ago while the 2007 Estate was bottled in (I think) May.

Tasting as is without food, we would both pick the 2001 simply because it had all those wonderful rich, buttery and creamy characteristics that we like to see in Chardonnay. The 2007 Premium had a richness of fruit but with a mineral bite to it.

It is interesting, in the course of tasting through the night, to observe the effects of the vineyards movement into bio-dynamic viticulture on the wines in the 2007 vintage. As Philip Jones puts it, the wines are much more vibrant in the bottle.


Roasted quail and shiitake mushroom terrine, duck foie gras, roasted scallop, cauliflower puree

While we loved the 2001 to drink by itself, it didn't seem to work when combined with the flavours of this particular dish and we both found that the 2007 a much better match.


Wines for the second course - left to right - 2004 Gamay, 2007 Gamay, 2007 Crown Prince Pinot Noir

All three of these wines were rich in fruit flavours with the 2004 also showing mineral elements.


Hand prepared guanciale and prosciutto, Joselito Jamon Iberico Gran Riserva, house made rye, Manjimup truffle

With these richly flavoured reds, no better match is found then in the company of cured meats - meltingly soft guanciale, supple prosciutto and a sweet nutty jamon. The toasted slices of rye were daubed in manjimup truffle butter.



Wines for the third Course - left to right - 2004 Estate Pinot Noir, 2005 Estate Pinot Noir, 2006 Estate Pinot Noir, 2007 Estate Pinot Noir

The 2004 is described as having subtle feminine flavours while the 2005 has higher tannins and minerals. 2006 is combination of intense fruit and long tannins while once again, the 2007 has a vibrancy to its fruit.


Roasted duck breast, confit duck shank, celeriac puree, porcini, orange



Wines for the Cheese Course - left to right - 2003 Premium Pinot Noir, 2004 Premium Pinot Noir, 2007 Premium Pinot Noir, "Mystery Wine"

2003 had ripe plum flavours while the 2004 exhibited a gentler and more subtle palette but with more lingering flavours. The 2007 was bottled only 10 days ago but like the rest of the 2007 vintage was very much showing good fruit flavours.


Touree de l'Aubier, apple jelly, rosemary lavosh

The final course of the evening is cheese - Touree de l'Aubier - a surface-ripened washed rind cheese made with pasteurised cows milk from the Normandy region of France. An absolutely spectacular cheese.

If you are reading this and thinking phooey I missed out, well don't despair - this dinner is being repeated on Monday 4th August so contact the restaurant and make a booking.

The details:
Church Street 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

Lunch @ Les Boucheries Parisiennes

On a cold and rainy Sunday, we've sought comfort in the company of some good French food.




As we are close to the kitchen, Paalo captures a candid shot of our meals




For starters:



I've chosen the scallops with mushroom risotto - a dish that we both loved on our previous visit.



Seriously good scallops, barely cooked to retain their tenderness, sweet and succulent they would be perfect just by themselves. However they have a wonderful companion in the form of a creamy mushroom risotto.



Paalo opts for the Crispy skinned pork belly served with a quince and sultana chutney and an Apple reduction



With our meals we are thoroughly enjoying this bottle of 2005 Alto Moncayo Veraton Grenache.




A little treat from the kitchen is next - a sampling of their duck liver parfait with a fig and sultana chutney. An incredibly light texture combines with that distinctive flavour of duck liver. The hint of smoky cinnamon in the chutney and the sweetness of the figs helps round out the flavours.

For the mains:



we order the Beef Rib Eye for Two (the photo shows one plate) and it is served with slow roasted cherry tomatoes and shallots. A choice of sauces are available, red wine or béarnaise - we both went for the béarnaise


With a choice of pommes frites or Truffle Mashed Potatoes - the mashed potatoes easily won that battle.


We also ordered a side of greens beans served with almond butter.

An excellent piece of beef - tender, juicy, flavoursome and cooked beautifully rare.

With the rain still coming down we extend our stay with dessert



I have the French Apple Tart - a thin circle of buttery pastry is topped with equally thin slices of apple. Baked until golden it is served with vanilla ice cream and dried apple slices.



Paalo enjoys the blackberry, rhubarb and apple crumble topped with a hazelnut crust and served with vanilla mascarpone. Baked in its staub pot it arrives hot from the oven.

A highly satisfying way to spend Sunday - good food, good wine and good conversation.


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