La Luna (Nth Carlton) 04 2018

* Click on pic's to enlarge them.
It's almost ten years since we last came here but it has been on our mind to come back time and again. That's because we enjoyed it so much. See: https://1001dinners.blogspot.com.au/search?q=La+Luna 
It's different now. The meat room has been moved and the restaurant has been enlarged but it retains the sort of basic Bistro character. Plain bare wood tables, simple settings and not very comfortable chairs. 

Glassware is marked with this sort of cosmic symbol.

You still have to ask for it if you want bread and butter, no change there.

The menu is bigger. Set out as Small Goods, like prosciutto or salami, all about $15, Small dishes like house smoked salmon, crispy pig's ears or spinach and feta filo pastry pie all around $21, Main plates like fish, confit duck leg from $28 to $43 with slow cooked lamb shoulder $89, for two. There's a chef's feast for the table (Chef's choice) $107 pp. Then there are the Beef cuts $$41 to $58 the usual sides $9.5, Sweet treats about $17 and a mezza plate of desserts $32 and cheeses from $11 to $16.5/ 30 gm depending on how many you choose.
We got through a variety of dishes.
Freshly shucked oysters, champagne vinaigrette, $4 each

House smoked salmon, beetroot, horseradish cream.

Bull-Boar sausages, aoli, herbs.

Adrian Richardson, chef, meat and sausage officiando and TV host of Secret Meat Business, the proprietor of La luna has made his recipe for this spicy sausage available on the internet. Unfortunately I found the sausage rather dry and dull.
On to the mains.
Fish, rock flathead 

was delicate, sweet, moist unexpected in a meat specialty restaurant.

Scotch Fillet, spinach, mushroom,& roast garlic butter, (grass fed marble score 4) was cooked perfectly to my taste.

 A super dish.
Rib Eye, confit carrot, bearnaise sauce

was another perfectly cooked excellent dish. Unfortunately the jus was very reduced, heavy and salty.
 Fillet Mignon

came with the same jus and carrot.
The slow cooked lamb shoulder doesn't look as good as it should here. 

It's a substantial serve. 
Crushed potato with garlic and lemon (Kipfler) 

were great, as were the house fries.

Vanilla pannacotta, poached rhubarb, strawberries was pleasant

 but the vanilla bean creme brulee

was outstanding.
This is not a sophisticated venue but more a relaxed style bistro marked by really excellent meat cooked simply and really well. Service is friendly and not obtrusive. Fully licenced you can have BYO with $25 corkage.
We'll be back! 
Score: 15.5/20

Kisume (Melbourne CBD) 04/2018

Kisume occupies three floors. At ground level a Japanese a la carte restaurant, above that a bar

where casual meals can be served

and on the top floor a fine dining modern degustation restaurant for 12 patrons, which is where we ate.. 
From the start there is a marked element of theatre about this place. 
We were advised to be seated by 7.00pm. There is a horse shoe shaped table from which guests see a curtained doorway through which the chef 

enters at precisely 7.15

This was not actually his first appearance but it looked great

He has a central bench where he plates some dishes, although many are prepared in the kitchen behind him and are ready to serve to the seated guests.
TOMATO CONSOMME, WASABI TOFU

Our first course, a sip or two of perfectly clear delicate palate cleanser.
PUFFED RICE, MENTAIKO EMULSION

A medley of textures, a beaut dish
UNICORN, UNI, CORN, CAVIAR

This pic shows a root of raw wasabi on  a board ready to be grated. The menu title is a little joke. The Unicorn may not exist but the food was real, but not so special.
OYSTER, UMESHU GELEE

The gold leaf on top was a nice touch. Sweet and plump I could have done with a couple more. GREAT BARRIER REEF, SPANNER CRAB, ABALONE, MUSSEL, SCALLOP, CALAMARI

Not much cooking in fact pretty much raw but the taste and texture of each element was distinct and I loved them all. Others didn't.
STORM SHELL CRAB AND BONITI SIPHON BROTH, SMOKED EEL
Made using an old style coffee maker where the heated broth is forced up to the upper compartment from where it infuses through the seafood ingredients. Cute to do it at the table.
SCAMPI, SASHIMI, NORI, SCAMPY ROE

Another almost raw dish.

EGGPLANT AND SWEET POTATO TEMPURA

Not quite as delicate as the previous fare, the batter had also retained a lot of oil.

SUNOMONO, GINGER, ELDERFLOWER

ABURI WAGYU, CHOPPED TORO

QUAIL YAKITORI, SMOKED LEEK,CARROT, KOMBU PUREE

This was, for me, the best prepared quail that i can remember.
BLACKMORE 9+ WAGYU, SHIO KOJI ZUCCHINI, FRESH WASABI

MOREL MUSHROOM RICE

PASSIONFRUIT, LYCHEE, FINGER LIME, PINEAPPLE TUBE 
You suck it up! Deliicious.

SUMMER DAIFUKU

Comments: This was as much an entertainment as an Interesting and unusual meal. The chef was amusing, full of fun and happy to share cooking, and other information during the meal but he would not tell us exactly where he goes to eat out!
The meal was excellent but the dishes were not exquisite. Except the quail, for me, we did not feel that we could rave about them, nor that any, individually would remain forever in our memory. For an experience in Kaiseki we would highly recommend it.
Score:16.5 /20