Dinner @ Vue de Monde

It's a long overdue re-visit to Vue de Monde



and we've managed to snare the chef's table for the night!



You can't get much closer to the action without actually doing the work!


AMUSE BOUCHE:
Petit Clair-de-Lune oyster served with seaweed consummé, caviar and grapefruit air

I'm not a huge oyster eater but I really do love these clair de lune and topped with a generous dollop of Osetra Caviar, it's just sublime.



various breads


olive bread roll




COQUILLE ST-JACQUES A LA SAUCE XO
NV Tatyama Ginrei Amaharashi Junmai Daiginjo-Shu
Spring Bay Scallop, marinated in XO sauce with apple, avocado and wasabi purée

slivers of scallop have been marinated in xo sauce (made in house) and are served atop a pure of apple, avocado and wasabi - extra xo sauce is daubbed around the plate.

the wine match is a wonderfully clean and fresh sake - fresh fruit notes on the nose, a touch of sweetness in the mouth


GNOCCHI AUX TRUFFLES D'ALBA
Liquid Cep gnocchi with mushrooms, tarragon emulsion and shaved white truffle
2000 Dom Perignon Champagne


A dish you want to eat slowly so you can really savour every mouthful. The gnocchi are formed using spherification techniques so as soon as you bite into them, the liquid cep oozes out.

You wouldn't automatically match champagne to this but they share those earthy characteristics and it really compliments the whole dish.



BOUILLON DE KINGFISH INFUSE EN CINQ MINUTES
Five minute infusion: tarragon and ginger infused broth with seared kingfish
2007 Castello di Luzzano Malvasia Colli Piacentini Tasto di Seta

Five minute infusion; tarragon and ginger infused broth with seared kingfish

This is a modification of Shannon's boullabaise - this time the stock has been made with kingfish and ginger and it's then put through the Kona and infused with more herbs



At the base of the dish are seared kingfish slices and a potato jelly tortellini filled with broad bean puree. The flavour of ginger really comes through beautifully. You'll also find that those tortellini will dissolve in the heat of your mouth realeasing their fresh broad bean flavour.

Our wine match was an all too easy to drink white from Emilia-Romagna.






TOMATE A LA RICOTTA
Thyme studded buffalo ricotta with buffalo milk skin and confit tomato
2007 Evesham Wood Blancs de Puits Sec Gewurztraminer Pinot Gris

At the base of the plate, covered with buffalo milk skin is in-house made buffalo ricotta. Confit tomatoes and candied olives are scattered around while olive brioche sticks protrude from the plate.







Carpaccio de Foie Gras
Carpaccio of Foie gras with fennel. pear and verjus sauce
1999 Tokaji Royal Aszu 6 Puttonyos Betsek

A marvellously criss-crossed piece of foie gras is served simply on top of roasted pear slices. Peeled grapes and walnuts, 6 spice powder and verjus sauce finish the dish.



FILLET DE SAINT-PIERRE AUX DOUZE EPICES
Fillet of John Dory crusted with potato scales served with vegetable carpaccio and twelve spice sauce
1989 Tyrell's Vat 1 Semillon

A gorgeously juicy piece of john dory is coated in scales made from tiny circles of potato and served with an assortement of slivered vegetables and a smoky babaganoush (the eggplants are cooked on the grill at Bistro Vue giving them such a fantastic smoky flavour) - the 12 spice sauce is served at the table


Jus au Hibiscus
Liquid Hibiscus at -8°C

This is superchilled so arrives at your table like a slushie.


CANARD A LA CANNELLE
Roast duck breast and confit leg with cinnamon
2004 Domaine Gervassiliou Avaton

The cherries are actually stuffed with duck confit and sit on a disc of dried apple puree - underneath that are gravy filled and crumbed duck croquettes. On the other side of the plate is the duck breast.


ASSIETTE DE VEAU
Veal assiette with black bean sauce and a bread and almond puree
1997 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon

From left to right, veal belly, veal sweetbread, veal loin. The belly has been slow cooked for a day leaving it with a most amazing texture - similiar to slow cooked pork belly but without that level of fattiness.



Pre-dessert:
Berry zabalione with mint jelly coated kiwi fruit



CHEESECAKE AUX FRUITS DE LA PASSION
Passionfruit cream with frangipane sand and passionfruit souffle
2007 Yves Cuilleron La Rousselliere

This is a deconstructed offering - the pile on the right arrives on the table encased in a glass tube. The tube is removed and the mixture gently oozes out to form the blob you see. It's cheesecake, topped with frangipane sand. To the left is passionfruit souffle cooked in its case.



Almond Parfait a la Pierre
1986 Quinta Do Noval Colheita

This last dessert heralds some absolutely fantastic news. You just might be able to tell what it is by looking at this dish, there is a certain style to its presentation. There's a new addition to the Vue de Monde team and it has us grinning like cheshire cats.

It's only his second day on the job but Pierre Roelofs has thankfully not left the country nor moved to another state but will be working at Vue. Exciting times indeed!


Petit-fours - a rather civilised way to end the night


blood orange jelly


salted caramel truffles with silver


pineapple lollypop wrapped in mint jelly


mini pavlova with passionfruit syringe


There's not much else to add - we found the meal as a whole really well-balanced and left us feeling quite comfortable - no pains of over-indulgence. As always the wine matches were fascinating but we expect nothing less from Raúl.


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