Sapphire (Newcastle, NSW) 08/10/2018

We don't often go to Indian restaurants because Sandra has a sensitivity to chili, perhaps even an allergy, but arriving in Newcastle alone at dinner time after only a scanty snack  on the plane I was happy to take the opportunity to try Newcastle's reputedly best home style Indian cuisine. 
Sapphire, a precious gemstone, often worn by Royalty, especially the brilliant blue as seen in Kate Middleton's wedding ring, found in Eastern Australia, Sri Lanka, North Africa, Madagascar and a few other places including Thailand Vietnam, China but rarely does India get a mention! Did you notice it's spelt with two p's?
On a corner with windows looking out onto the street, 

there was no problem getting a table. The place is simply furnished, 

tables have, easy to clean, plastic cloths and comfortable soft high backed chairs.

There is a bar as you enter but 

BYO is fine too.
Before anything crisp papadams were served with a mint sauce.

If there was a problem it was due to the extensive menu.Chicken 65 looked intriguing - supposedly chicken in 65 spices. Not too hot that looked like the place to start.

Probably there were eight or even 10 spices but they were indistinguishable and unidentifiable. (I might add that the average reader probably knows more about Indian food than I do!) Regardless it was very pleasing, quite a big serve and hard to stop eating but there were other things I wanted to try.
They had a lot of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free meals but the goat dishes (with bones) looked appealing and I settled on Khadai goat. 

It was full of ribs, surely cooked for hours  to make the meat so tender. It was a fine dish, quite mild and, with a great bowl of Basmati rice, 

and more mint sauce.  I loved it.
I had a mango khulfi for dessert at a ridiculous price $4.50

Comments: Would I come back again? You betcha 
Score: 14.5/20 

Origin Nepal (Canberra) 09/2018

In Canberra rather late I wandered around Northbourne Ave and precinct looking for a good place to eat. 
There were stacks of restaurants but the all seemed very mundane so I chose something a bit different. 
Origin Nepal is very much a place serving traditional Nepalese food. There's a brief menu on a black board outside the door.

The restaurant occupies along room 

which, at 9.00 pm, had only four customers left although it could seat about 50 at it's white clothed paper covered tables.

Decor is very simple.
I chose a classic lamb curry with an accompanying soupy dahl and some fresh and cooked vegetables and rice.

 Not too hot it was a substantial meal.
The lamb, in a herb sauce, was tender and tasted good

The vegetables interesting,

The dahl mild and inoffensive

and the fresh vegetables gave relief from the heat of the dish.

For dessert I had mango and ginger kulfi with jaman.

Among the worst desserts I have ever eaten. Mild mango taste, almost no ginger flavour and the kulfi hard and full of icicles.
It detracted badly from what was otherwise a pleasant meal.
Score:13.25 /20

Montrachet (Bowen Hills - Brisbane) 09/2018

It's four years since I last visited Montrachet and things have changed a bit. It's been sold and it's moved from a slightly isolated spot in Paddington to a busy restaurant strip and now also have outside dining. In other ways it's very much the same. A seven course degustation ($110) or a four course degustation ($90) with matched wines if you wish. A very French a la carte menu, uniformed wait staff and at least one French waiter.
Table settings are simple

with half a dozen places along the bar

for those who might wish to sit there.
Time for the food.
I find a few dishes that are a good test of a chef, one of them being French onion soup.

They did it very well. Well balanced, not too sweet, enough onion and the crouton covered with just enough cheese remained crisp.
I had been seated outside looking in!

After the first course I accepted a seat at the bar. Fish? lamb? fillet? quail? duck?
Lockyer Valley Quail won the guernsey .

This quite large bird, pan roasted, was served with preserved lemon farce on a bed of baked rhubarb accompanied by a 'baby' potato, parsnip and Juniper scented pan juices was a little bland but the accompaniments made up for everything. The light lemon flavour, the extremely tasty pan juices and the rhubarb were incredible.
As good as ever
Score:16.5 /20

Pipero (Rome) 08/2018

This is no ordinary restaurant. To start with before you can get into the place you have to ring and wait for an attendant to check you in. Secondly it is exceptionally elegant. It has high vaulted black ceilings and broad arches. There is a sort of bar at one end of the large L shaped room.

Walls are white or painted with digitised, deliberately slightly out of focus, black and white photo's of paintings of Renaissance masters 

or a restful pastel grey with beautiful floor to ceiling curtains.
Light fittings hang from the ceiling like giant sea monsters

Large tables are set with show plates

 on excellent quality linen clothes and serviettes.
We were surprised when the owner introduced himself to us at attended to the table from time to time throughout the evening.
The menu can either be a la carte or one of two tasting menus: one seven  and one 10 courses for 110 or 140 Euro. Matched wines are also available.
As soon as we sat down the owner poured us a glass of champagne. The glassware was of the highest quality.

I was happy to have just a glass of wine which we drank through the meal. 
Before the amuse bouche a small glass container was brought to the table containing two green olives and some dry biscuits. As soon as the lid was lifted smoke drifted out. The olives retained a pleasant smoky taste.
A cute container looking like a silver apple, with a spout, on a leaf 

was announced to be Sicilian olive oil, which was poured into a donut shaped clear glass plate. f

or a bread course! First a sour dough bread made in house only about half an hour ago

The second bread was a plain roll to better experience the fine olive oil

The last bread was a small Chinese steamed bun.

The amuse bouche was just a mouthful of all good things.

We then had a very gentle cheese creation on a pumpkin purée with a salty sea asparagus tagliatelle, which was a sea weed

Next came a very salty sort of clam chowder, 

the clams were in a potato foam with a sprinkle of chocolate powder.
Tortellini

Risotto was yet another fairly salty dish

An interesting combination of scallop on a bed of finely homogenized chick pea kept company with a salty caperberry, a half a stuffed olive and some black and green olive powder

Pigeon was superb,  could not be better prepared, tender full of taste. The pigeon breast

with carrot two ways was followed by a crusted leg

on a bed of sunflower seeds.
Foie gras covered with a red fruit was a dish which would not be out of place at any restaurant, unless it was a vegetarian one!

Beef was next., salt crusted and covered with an oyster leaf.

Cheese and nuts!

Dessert

and some nibbles.

Not perfect - whatever is, but a beautifully presented meal in a fine venue.
Score:17 /20