German Club Tivoli (Windsor) 05/2015

There are stereotypes for almost everything in most of our heads and there certainly is for Tivoli the German Club.
I think of beer, sauerkraut, bratwurst, pork hock, smoked or roasted, schnitzel, all the classics and you find them here.
You don't have to guess what most of these dishes are. 









Very surprisingly they now have an Indian waitress, an Indian barman and an Indian chef. It's less surprising then to find Gulab Jamun on the dessert menu.
Service was astonishing. Our entree of garlic snails had not reached the table when the main courses arrived!
The bar and the kitchen seem to operate independantly so drinks and food have to be paid for separately.
You get a man size meal for your money and you can take away what you don't finish.
Score:13.5 /20

Dish (Toorak) 05/2015

Dish has been on my wish list for quite a long time. At last we ate there last week. In the  boutique Royce Hotel. It's a very pleasant space, simply furnished with bare tables, a wall,of mirrors covered by decorative plates face each other across the room.

The open kitchen is screened from the street. It is quite noisy, no doubt a variable situation.
We tried quite a lot of dishes, the bill being reduced by the Entertainment Book. 
Mushroom risotto was well prepared but over spiced

reducing the contribution of the Porchini, a particularly delicate flavour, to undetectable.
Deep fried calamari rings were reasonable but unexciting,
 
as was a smoked trout seafood salad.
 
Pasta with tiger prawns, crab and garlic was OK. We requested no chili
 
The promise of a 300gm pasture fed O'Connor sirloin grilled steak cooked blue was irresistible. 

Served with cipolini onions and triple cooked Russet potatoesthe side stuff was beaut but I should have looked for something else. It looked great but was medium to medium rare - not what the DR. ordered.
A snapper fillet was an honest dish.
 
Their gnocchi, served with lamb, could have been lighter and fluffier but were reasonable.
 
Asked for a suggestion for a light un acidic red our waiter said he'd have to think about that and never returned. A second waiter brought a Malbec that was very rough and awful to my taste. They changed it for a much superior wine without extra charge. 
Prices here are above average but, for us, the cooking and service were not. 
Score 13.5/20

Richmond Osters (Richmond) 05/2015

 Mother in Law's choice for Mothers Day lunch was Richmond Oysters because she really wanted that favourite of the 70's, Prawn Cocktail.
We were greeted by Caleb, the manager, who knows us well, seated and the Mums offered a glass of bubbly. The new menu offers plenty of choices. 
Mum in Law started with oysters Mornay and garlic bread
 
 
while Sandra chose a chowder which I shared.
 
I loved it. Full of goodies, big lightly cooked muscles, scallops, salmon and more. I liked it better than the tinned chowder we were served at Fisherman;s Wharf in San Francisco. 
Fish and Chips was what I expected. There was a choice of fish and cooking methods. I picked battered flake. Nothing to complain about. 

Rather than leaving the chef to cook the whole baby barramundi Sandra suggested  the way she thought she would like it. This turned out to be a mistake. It did not show the fish at its best.

The prawn cocktail was just right and left Mum in Law more than satisfied.

Instead of dessert she finished with a frangelico affogato which was beaut too.
This is an unpretentious restaurant, food is fresh simply prepared and fairly priced.
Score:13.75 /20