Jacques Reymond - Again

According to the somewhat biased AGF the only 3 star restaurant in Melbourne Jacques Reymond continues to produce exceptional menus that are a joy to the palate.
His approach to fine dining is to offer entree size dishes of a wide variety which can be a la carte - 3,4 or 5 courses or a degustation menu of 7 courses plus coffee and petit fours also available in vegetarian products
We had the Autumn Degustation with matched wines.
Beginning with his signature gougere, a classical French amuse bouche, before the soup of crunchy lettuce like a minestrone which sat on very tender pork belly and had a Parmesan foam and truffle salsify served with a 2006 Freycinet Chardonnay. This unusual combination was interesting but didn't stimulate any desire for more, or to have it again.
The black lasagna of blue swimmer crab and wasabi, Thai salad was wonderful. It sat on a slice of watermelon and the textures and tastes blended beautifully or you could deconstruct part of the dish to experience the individual flavours. All this served with moorish bread straight from the oven.Laquered salmon petuna trout, fennel and vanilla puree, oriental mushrooms served with a 2006 Farr Rising Pinot Noir was cooked through and replaced without hesitation with a perfectly prepared piece of salmon. A very good dish but not outstanding
Prime eye fillet of beef and kohlrabi, a carrot and daikon salad also fell into that class of very good but not outstanding.

I also had a good report on the 'Rigatoni' vanilla and crustacean sauce. Moloolaba prawns, not on this menu The Western Plains suckling pig, slow cooked and fresh lemon pasta, broken juices is another dish to die for. You can't describe it you just have to try it for yourself. Served with a 2001 Dalwinnie 'Jacques Reymond blend' shiraz which our waiter told me JR himself was involved in the blending. Maybe - who knows it was far to acidic for this dish. Perhaps it would have been better with the alternative to this course which was venison
Raclette cheese, spunta potato, organic prosciutto with a 2005 Louis Sipp Gewurtztraminer from Alsace was so good I'd happily have had three serves The cheese super and the combination great and that goes for the wine to.
Spiced pineapple and ginger cream, chocolate lemon myrtle and bush pepper berry ice cream with a Terte du Lys d'Or Sauterne a rich and pleasing dessert. The botrytis was rather prominent in the wine
Petit four and coffee completed an excellent meal
Price: $150 or $220 with wine
Vegetarian $98 Three courses $98, four $125 five $150
Score: 17.5/20