Lunch @ 268 on Toorak

The renovations are finally complete and 268 on Toorak has quietly reopened and we're back to see how the old Les Boucheries Parisiennes has scrubbed up.

As we mentioned on the last post - the same team remains but they have the opportunity to better utilise the restaurant space. Upstairs is now the restaurant proper while downstairs is a more casual eating space - the leather banquettes remain, but they are joined by low tables and casual leather cubes. When you consider its position just opposite the Como center, this change makes sense as does the new menu which has a focus on shared dishes.

As it's a lazy saturday and with so many new dishes on the menu, we've foresaken any decision making and put ourselves in Chef Paul's hands.

We begin with charcuterie



Freshly sliced and served without fuss - top quality pancetta, Serrano and Sausisscon



The calamari is nice and tender with good spice from the salt and pepper coating - the lime aioli provides a refreshing contrast to the warm pepper.
Citrus cured salmon is deliciously soft and a good match to the earthy beetroot and bitter witlof.



The Soufflé here have always been excellent and these continue that tradition. The chorizo was supremely good - sourced from Casa Iberica. It's incredibly dense, wonderfully spiced yet still so juicy. We could easily have ordered another.



Good crackling on the belly which is nice and meaty rather than being overly fatty - the crisp apple salad is a great accompaniment as you need something fresh to clense the palate.
Fat juicy prawns coated in a light tempura coating, nice refreshing tang from the pickle of shredded cucumber.



Loved the crumb coating on the quail, the fresh herb flavour enlivens the dish. The quail were perfectly cooked, the breasts still pink and juicy.

Beef Carpaccio is also very good - lovely tender beef with a hint of truffle.




Crisp outside, soft mallow interior, it's exactly how Pavlova should be. What I find amazing is that these are virtually cooked to order only taking 12 minutes to cook!



I spy a chocolate fondant in the distance. The hazelnut ice-cream is exactly that, full of hazelnut flavour, it is delightful.



Look at it ooze and it's a proper fondant too - if you eat the ice cream with the fondant, it's like your very own version of nutella!

So what's our verdict? We've always been fans of Les Boucheries and Paul's cooking and with the renovation work and the new menu, we're still fans.

The details:

268 on Toorak
268 Toorak Road
South Yarra

Phone: 8256 1636

Open: Tuesday to Saturday - Lunch and Dinner

web
www.268ontoorak.com.au