The menu describes, at some length, five varieties of artisan oysters ($3.75 - $4.5) which I did not try in favour of their signature entree -warm poached egg with Reggiano, new season Yarra Valley truffles and soft polenta ($29.5). This is a glorious dish. The truffle flavour was distinct as was the Reggiano, the egg just right as was the polenta.
The Burgundy style ham hock terrine ($20), on special with soft boiled baby chicken egg, pea puree, cauliflower remoulade
actually came with a small green salad, coleslaw and wasabi producing a good variety of tastes and textures although the terrine was a little fibrous.
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Botanical is really a specialist steak house although they do have a range of seafood and a vegetarian offering. We tried the spit roast 120 day grain fed Darling Down New York strip steak with cauliflower macaroni, spinach puree and onion 'frites' ($45)
which came with an impressive unserrated Portugese steak knife. Cooked medium as requested it had good taste, with a very good sauce, and the cauliflower macaroni was good enough to serve as a dish in its own right. Similarly the BBQ 450 gm dry aged T-bone with cotechino sausage and broad bean salsa ($48) was a fine piece of meat and served warm blue a condition few kitchens are able to achieve.
The salsa was surprisingly hot and dominated the other tastes.
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The wood roasted miso caramelised Patagonian toothfish with tempura oysters, native lime and wasabi dressing ($48.5)
also came on a lotus leaf with strips of pickled ginger and had a spoonful of green roe. The wheel shaped vegetable is lightly fried lotus root. A very delicate textured fish this was moist and succulent - I have never had better.
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we had a side serve of hand cut chips with Provencale salt and aioli ($8.8). These red russet potatoes had been blanched, dried and pre cooked at a lowish temperature in duck fat before the final cooking in canola oil. I certainly preferred them to the usual French fries
For dessert we had the blood orange cream caramel with blood orange sorbet and chocolate filled crepe Suzette ($17.5)
The blood oranges have a special taste which was very good but the texture of the creme caramel was a little firm.
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The hazelnut and coffee creme brulee with warm chocolate donut and biscotti ($19)tasted as good as it looked - a great dessert.
Wine: We drank by the glass The Pepper Tree reserve merlot ($14) and the New Zealand pinot gris ($14) were both excellent but the shiraz needed more aging.
Wine: We drank by the glass The Pepper Tree reserve merlot ($14) and the New Zealand pinot gris ($14) were both excellent but the shiraz needed more aging.
Service was pleasant, not so slow as previously, despite the crowd, and informative in response to questions.
Comments: It was particularly nice to sit by the open kitchen watching the chefs plating up a variety of dishes - The shanks with harissa looked wonderful.
Comments: It was particularly nice to sit by the open kitchen watching the chefs plating up a variety of dishes - The shanks with harissa looked wonderful.
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Score: 17/20
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