Der Raum @ Church Street Enoteca

It's the start of our very special week - tomorrow is our anniversary dinner at Vue de Monde and tonight is a collaborative dinner by Der Raum and Church Street Enoteca.

These two venues are virtually stone throwing distance apart and surprisingly for all our visits to CSE we haven't ever ventured down the road to Der Raum - there's always been that intention to go but the opportunity just never presented itself...that is until now.

As we waited for people to arrive, we were offered the first of the evenings drinks called Herbie Hancock. Basically it was a champagne cocktail - a mix of Grappa, Sage Sugar, Peychaud Bitters, Champagne and something called Herbal "Fog". The fog was a dry ice concoction infused with herbs and was used to great visual effect to top our flutes.

With this we enjoyed the canapé - a scallop on the half shell, served on a fennel puree and topped with a tomato and white anchovy compote.

First Course:


Crayfish Ravioli: Sea Urchin and crustacean sauce, burnt butter and broad beans
Lola Montez - Bianco Tequila, Averna, Aperol, Lemon, Celery Bitters

Looks every bit as good as it tastes - thin, delicate pasta generously filled with crayfish. Love that complex flavours from the sea urchin sauce.

Second Course:



Whiting Fillet - pinenuts, sultanas, pangrattato, kipfler potatoes and Mt Zero lemon extra virgin olive oil

Classic flavours - the whiting was perfectly cooked, tender and moist.



Pinoli Spritz - Pinenut Cognac, Amaro Nonino, Honey Water, Orange Bitters, Champagne

An excellent match to the fish, expanding on those pine nut flavours


Third Course:



Slow cooked Sher Wagyu Rump, beetroot gratinata, spinach and morel mushroom jus
Bax Beet Pinot - Fernet Branca, Antica Formula, Beetroot, Lime

The cocktail was served in wine bottles, the intention to mimic a pinot. Poured into wine glasses, it did look very much like a pinot though on the nose you got a bit of those bitter aromas from the fernet branca. To taste, an earthy sweetness from beetroot, finished with a hint of lime tang. A gorgeous drink that I wish they would bottle!

The beef was as tender as you would imagine, deeply flavoured, 

Fourth Course:



Lemon Sorbet - creamy yet refreshing.

Fifth Course:



Testun Barolo - fig and walnut bread, muscatels and quince puree
Creole Manhatten - Rye Whiskey, Walnut Eau-de-Vie, Dark Cacoa, Whiskey Bitters

To finish:



Biscotti and Petite Fours
Amaro Gummy - Amaro Montenegro, Antica Forumula, Pineapple and Citrus Dust

The amaro gummy isn't a drink, it's lolly - see those red spheres at the back of the plate in the photo above - they are the amaro gummy. A lovely combination of sweet, acidic and bitter - like a very adult gummy bear.

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

Der Raum
438 Church Street,
Richmond

Phone: 9428 0055

Open:
Daily from 5pm to 1am

web
http://www.derraum.com.au/