Saturday, March 24, 2007

Jade Kew Restaurant

Introduction At 10/4-14 Walpole St Kew you are unlikely ever to find this place unless by recommendation of a local
Ambience Large carpetted room with reasonably spaced large round tables, white linen cloths and small green serviettes! Chinese caligraphy covered A4 sheets hang around the walls with only the price per pound at the bottom and at the top the subject e.g. Lobster ($48) in English. Pleasant and a good place to eat and talk

Service Unobtrusive good although tho not exceptional

Food We had an entree of fried won ton which were almost entirely pastry and spring rolls which were very average. Pre ordered Peking duck followed. Carved, and wrapped in pancake with the usual accoutrements, at the adjacent table it was quite excellent. It might have been even better had we not been half an hour late! The duck was then chopped up and returned in a very good soup with tofu, mushroom and bok choy I can still taste the bones

The desserts - fritters, fried ice cream and fried bean paste pancake were all very rich
Wine BYO, very reasonable, or licenced but I did not look at the wine list

Price Extremely reasonable at around $25/head

Comments Definitely worth going for the Peking duck if you enjoy that.
Incidently, the most expensive thing ariund the wall was Coral trout at $58/lb!
Score: 14.25/20

Edna's Place

Introduction This unimpressive cafe at 390 Glenhuntly Rd Elsternwick is extremely popular
Ambience It's a dive with a few small tables on the footpath

Service Prompt and a little impatient

Food I only had a toasted Tuna sandwich with an accompanying garden salad and a coffee.

It was tasty and so, I'm told, are the rest of their dishes. The menu is modest and unpretentious
Price Cheap

Comments Possibly the most frequented cafe on that strip but nothing about it changes my introductory view

Score: 13/20

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Interlude

Introduction: At 211 Brunswick St Fitzroy this restaurant really does provide an interval of different character.
Ambience: Comfortably furnished with good quality linen cloths and serviettes, cutlery and some striking crockery, this carpeted room provides a pleasing environment for a good meal

Service: Faultless. Prompt and informed attention

Food: The menus are available on their web page - http://www.interlude.com.au/ We had the major degustation menu with matched wines. All the dishes were well balanced and, with the exception of a little too much tabasco for my taste in the lamb tartar, quite excellent.
Particularly outstanding were the 'bacon and eggs'. cooked at 62 degrees for 36 hours with a strip of crisp bacon and a lovely sauce. This was my pick of them.


Also high on my list was the squab with a treacle sauce and a truly great Rock flathead with smoked milk and chowder juices and the Roquefort, grape, walnuts, apple was also fabulous.
The matching of the corned duck with a Gewurtztraminer was unusual and not to my taste
Wine: Stewart, the sommelier has done a very good of selecting a range of wines from France, Italy, Spain New Zealand and Australia. Whilst mostly not top shelf they are all more than acceptable. The French champagne was a great start and the Spanish Muscat excellent

Price: $175 for the food $100 for 12 wines (60 ml) For anyone who has been to good restaurants in Europe or America you will know that this is fantastic value
but it is expensive compared to most 'good' restaurants
Comments: Under rated at only 2 hats by the Age Good Food Guide
A return visit a year later and even more impressed
Score: 17.5/20

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Ripples Seafood & BBQ Restaurant



Introduction: At 40-42 Glenferrie Rd Malvern Ph 95095365 this popular Chinese restaurant serves a daily Yum Cha (11.30 to 3.00pm) as well as having an a la carte menu and takeway. Free delivery for 3Km for orders over $35
Ambience: Bustling. Waitresses/ers move efficiently about the white cloth and butcher paper covered tables effortlessly lifting their trolleys up the steps which separate several areas of the restaurant

Service: Indistiguishable from a multitude of others

Food: The Yum Cha is very good. They have the usual 3 items per serve for most things however the serves are distinctly larger than at most places. Gyoza, fried Won Ton, Eggplant stuffed with prawns, a lightly chilli prawn dumpling Tripe with either a light sate or a ginger sauce, scallop dumpling, shark fin dumpling and a crispy skin duck dish with appropriate sauce were all very good

Wine Licences for BYO Wine

Price Reasonable - about $50 for the above lot. Drinks extra

Comments: It is just a coincidence that it is next door to an establishment that promises to improve your health by washing out your large bowel!

Will not make big waves but well named. Worth a return visit.
Score:13.75 /20