Dinner @ Cafe Vue at 401

It's the ever changing menu du jour that keeps drawing us back to Cafe Vue. You never know what's in store, there's usually something a little different and tonights menu is proof of that.

To start:

Deep Fried Tuna Ravioli with Sauce Vierge, Citrus, Dill

When the dish was first described I must be honest and say that I was a bit dubious but as I've learnt, we should always taste first and then decide.

They do look like UFO's sitting on the plate and one could say that the combination of deep fried tuna filled ravioli, sauce vierge and citrus a trifle "out of this world" but within in the first bite, it all came together.


More surprising was that the tuna filling was barely cooked even with deep frying - the pastry was very flaky, the combination of sauce and assorted citrus (orange, grapefruit) played well with the tuna and the fragrant touch of dill, added a mild aniseed note.


For mains:

Lamb Galette, Pommes Mousseline, Cassoulet, Roasted Chicken Jus

The lamb has been slowly cooked at 120°C, the fat drained and the meat shredded and compacted to form a galette - it's then topped with a bread crust. The slice is served on (and with) pommes mousseline and "cassoulet" - in this case slow cooked black eyed peas in a rich tomato based sauce.


For dessert:

A Night at the Movies
Bubblegum Icecream, Bubblegum Meringues, Chocolate ganache, raspberry jelly, salted caramel popcorn

This is a plate of fun. There's a generous smear of salted carmel lurking under the caramel popcorn. The bubblegum icecream tastes exactly as you would expect - the meringue kisses are a bit more unusual, they have the texture you'd associate with winegums. The dark chocolate ganache and intense raspberry sauce match perfectly. All that is missing is a movie!

  The details:

  Cafe Vue at 401
  401 St Kilda Road
  Melbourne

  Phone: 9866 8055
  reservations for A la Carte Menu
  (including Menu du Jour) only

  Open:
  Monday-Friday: 7am to 11pm
  Saturday-Sunday: 8am to 11pm

  Web