Lunch @ Cafe Vue at 401

We're back for a leisurely lunch and just for a change we've decided to order off the a la carte menu.

For starters:

Fried School Prawns with garlic, lemon and parsley

I suppose the photo doesn't really give you an idea about the size of this dish but it was a generous portion of perfectly crisp school prawns served with a fresh garlic, lemon and parsley sauce - it makes a nice change from the more usual aioli that seems to accompany this type of dish.

Potato Gnocchi with braised goat and green olives

In previous menus there was an excellent pasta dish with braised goat and I thought I'd try this new version served with gnocchi. The gnocchi were excellent, soft, light, full of potato flavour but with an extra bonus, they had been sautéed and not just boiled - you can make out that golden edge on the gnocchi in the photo.

For mains:

Veal with Serrano Jamon and Polenta

This does get points for very nice presentation - served in a cast iron saucepan it does well to keep the heat in the dish. Unfortunately, this isn't necessarily a good thing when you are dealing with polenta as it kept it so hot that it stayed in an almost liquid form making it quite impossible to eat using just a knife and fork. The other problem was that when you cut into the dish, if you scrapped the bottom of the pan, it gave whatever you were eating a metallic taste.  If this was served on a plate it would have been a much more successful and enjoyable dish.

Duck Breast - from the rotisserie

Good sized breast, well sliced to reveal that perfectly pink flesh, good crisp skin. It is served with celeriac remoulade and roasted vegetables -

seasonal vegetables from the rotisserie

in this case, roasted carrots and potatoes.

  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

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