Sunday, August 13, 2006

Golden Lake

Introduction: At 4/288 Rear Springvale Rd Springvale, adjacent to the Springvale market
Ambience: Pass the hanging roast ducks and the bain marie with chiken feet, tripe lights and othe chinese delicacies to a large pleasant room. Well spaced, White linen, carpeted and comfortable.

Service: S l o w. I did not complain at the unusual result of a request for a glass of house red - a glass filled to a mm from the top.

Food: Had it arrived while still warm I think it would have been quite nice. After a crab and sweetcorn soup that tasted just like a chicken and sweetcorn soup and a dish of overcooked pork spare ribs we had seafood and vegetables in a basket, Crystal prawns, sweet and sour pork in light batter. None of these dishes was worth any special comment

Wine:

BYO extremely limited list including a couple by the glass
Price: Not expensive

Comments:Too many other good places to go to

Score: 12.5/20

Angliss Restaurant

Introduction: A training school for Chefs managers and hospitality hopefuls
Ambience: the doors open promptly at 7.00 for dinner to a large carpeted room with well spaced tables seating up to 12

Service: Perhaps this was an off night or they all started that day. Regardless the very young uniformed waiters really struggled to do even basic tasks like opening wine bottles or pouring without spilling - water or wine!

Food: There is a limited menu that changes every week. All dishes were well presented and looked excellent tho the flavours were not generally up to expectation Pork Belly was the pick of the entrees and the mixed seafood a good second choice. Of the mains the twice cooked duck was undistiguished, the rabbit unfortunately dry, the pasts dish lacked taste altogether.

All the desserts were well prepared and attractive I liked the souffle best
Wine: Very reasonable An Elderton Shiraz was $23!

Price: $28 for 3 courses and coffee, or tea

Comments: Probably better on other nights. The framed photo's of many of Melbournes best chefs in the foyer might have raised my expectations too much

Score: 12.5/20

The Brasserie at Crown

Introduction: Phillipe Mouchel's restaurant - a sort of upper class French Bistro
Ambience: Nice river outlook with occassional blasts of heat from the flaming gas jets outside. Feels like it will not be cheap
Service: Attentive - what I expect from a place like this
Food: Fish soup $15.91 was ultimately most notable for the price! Shellfish salad was regretably just OK The Guinea fowl, on special, wrapped in a pastry purse on a bed of lentils was a bit dry, quite tasty but less than excellent, and a rather small course too at $31.81. The porterhouse steak requested warm blue, served rare, was a nice piece of meat but again nothing special. The best dish was the cassoulet $31.82 would you believe. A good example of a French specilaty The side dish of cauliflower in a rich cream sauce $5.00 - no cents (!) was the best value of the meal.

The tasting plate of desserts $20.00 was also a joy to the sweet toothed
Wine: A reasonable list from which you should be able to find something to meet your taste at a fair price We enjoyed a Hollys Pinot Gris 05 for a mere $47.27!!!

Price: Moderately expensive

Comments; I've heard a lot of negative comments about the Brasserie. It's not that bad but it's not that good either
The pricing of dishes is incomprehensible
Score:14 /20

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Abacus

Introduction: A suburban gem
Ambience: A comfortable good quality feel about the place. Quiet and relaxing
Service: pleasant and helpful
Food: Remarkable. Although a little over salty the deep fried flounder in a basket of the flounder bones was an excellent dish. The 2 and1/2 pound white crab cooked in rice wine and eggwhite on a bed of noodles was absolutely outstanding. I haven't had food like this in the suburbs ever and will certainly return
Wine: They have some but BYO is preferable
Price: Reasonable We paid $140 for an excellent and very special meal
Comments: Chinese Haute cuisine has come to Malvern
Score: 16/20