Introduction: Phillipe Mouchel's restaurant - a sort of upper class French Bistro
Ambience: Nice river outlook with occassional blasts of heat from the flaming gas jets outside. Feels like it will not be cheap
Service: Attentive - what I expect from a place like this
Food: Fish soup $15.91 was ultimately most notable for the price! Shellfish salad was regretably just OK The Guinea fowl, on special, wrapped in a pastry purse on a bed of lentils was a bit dry, quite tasty but less than excellent, and a rather small course too at $31.81. The porterhouse steak requested warm blue, served rare, was a nice piece of meat but again nothing special. The best dish was the cassoulet $31.82 would you believe. A good example of a French specilaty The side dish of cauliflower in a rich cream sauce $5.00 - no cents (!) was the best value of the meal.
The tasting plate of desserts $20.00 was also a joy to the sweet toothed
Wine: A reasonable list from which you should be able to find something to meet your taste at a fair price We enjoyed a Hollys Pinot Gris 05 for a mere $47.27!!!
Price: Moderately expensive
Comments; I've heard a lot of negative comments about the Brasserie. It's not that bad but it's not that good either The pricing of dishes is incomprehensible
Score:14 /20
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Abacus
Introduction: A suburban gem
Ambience: A comfortable good quality feel about the place. Quiet and relaxing
Service: pleasant and helpful
Food: Remarkable. Although a little over salty the deep fried flounder in a basket of the flounder bones was an excellent dish. The 2 and1/2 pound white crab cooked in rice wine and eggwhite on a bed of noodles was absolutely outstanding. I haven't had food like this in the suburbs ever and will certainly return
Wine: They have some but BYO is preferable
Price: Reasonable We paid $140 for an excellent and very special meal
Comments: Chinese Haute cuisine has come to Malvern
Score: 16/20
Ambience: A comfortable good quality feel about the place. Quiet and relaxing
Service: pleasant and helpful
Food: Remarkable. Although a little over salty the deep fried flounder in a basket of the flounder bones was an excellent dish. The 2 and1/2 pound white crab cooked in rice wine and eggwhite on a bed of noodles was absolutely outstanding. I haven't had food like this in the suburbs ever and will certainly return
Wine: They have some but BYO is preferable
Price: Reasonable We paid $140 for an excellent and very special meal
Comments: Chinese Haute cuisine has come to Malvern
Score: 16/20
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Enlightened Cuisine
Introduction: Chinese Vegan Restaurant at 113 Queensbridge St Southgate
Ambience: Pleasant well spaced tables with linen cloths on the left side of the room and plastic on the right!!
Service: Obliging
Food: Astonishing. I have failed to enjoy mock meat dishes on several past occassions and had no great expectations. I tasted imitation beef, battered sweet and sour pork, duck with vegetables and a fish dish. Not only were the sauces excellent but also the main ingredients were very good imitations of the real thing.
Wine; BYO
Price: Entrees $4 Mains $12 to 19
Comments: Will definitely return. They have an arrangement, and do not charge, for car parking in their secure basement park around the corner. One of the staff will open the door on request.
Score: 15.5/20
Friday, June 30, 2006
Les Boucheries Parisiennes
Introduction: Like a little bit of Paris at 268 Toorak Rd - close to Chapel St Sth Yarra
Ambience: Quite delighted me. Seating less than 30, small tables Subdued paper table coverings, good quality cutlery. The staff dressed in oh so French striped White and Blue uniforms covered by white, off one shoulder, aprons. As seen in an old photo of a, no doubt, Paris "Boucherie.
Service: Our waiter was an amiable fellow but a rank amateur in this business, with a minimum of schoolboy French, though, coming from Berlin, he spoke excellent German!
Food: Tasty bread rolls are kept in calico bags on a hook under the table
This is certainly a specialty meat restaurant. Not one fish dish contaminated the menu.
We skipped the intruder on the entree menu - Tapas 3, 6 or 9 but we could not choose them and went straight for the mains. Several were no longer available including the Ribeye for two and luckily (or not) I got the last rabbit. Well bit of rabbit anyway. The tenderloin, served warm blue, was slightly overcooked and the Bernaise sauce would not pass a cordon blue taste test. The rabbit, served in a La Cruesset pot, surrounded by garlic cloves and a small onion was far to dry.
The mains ($35) came without anything else but the side dishes of French fries, Turnips, and spinach ($7.5) were all really excellent. They are served in very attractive very small La Cruesset pots
The Creme brulee was about as good as it gets
Wine: A modest and slightly expensive list By the glass about $9
Price: On the expensive side at about $80 a head for a not particularly good meal
Comments: Lots of atmosphere
Score: 13.5/20
Ambience: Quite delighted me. Seating less than 30, small tables Subdued paper table coverings, good quality cutlery. The staff dressed in oh so French striped White and Blue uniforms covered by white, off one shoulder, aprons. As seen in an old photo of a, no doubt, Paris "Boucherie.
Service: Our waiter was an amiable fellow but a rank amateur in this business, with a minimum of schoolboy French, though, coming from Berlin, he spoke excellent German!
Food: Tasty bread rolls are kept in calico bags on a hook under the table
This is certainly a specialty meat restaurant. Not one fish dish contaminated the menu.
We skipped the intruder on the entree menu - Tapas 3, 6 or 9 but we could not choose them and went straight for the mains. Several were no longer available including the Ribeye for two and luckily (or not) I got the last rabbit. Well bit of rabbit anyway. The tenderloin, served warm blue, was slightly overcooked and the Bernaise sauce would not pass a cordon blue taste test. The rabbit, served in a La Cruesset pot, surrounded by garlic cloves and a small onion was far to dry.
The mains ($35) came without anything else but the side dishes of French fries, Turnips, and spinach ($7.5) were all really excellent. They are served in very attractive very small La Cruesset pots
The Creme brulee was about as good as it gets
Wine: A modest and slightly expensive list By the glass about $9
Price: On the expensive side at about $80 a head for a not particularly good meal
Comments: Lots of atmosphere
Score: 13.5/20
Bamboo House
Introduction: A long well established China town restaurant at 47 Little Bourke St.
Ambience: An elegant, well spaced facility
Service: Somewhat slow resulting in food being much cooler than I would have liked
Food: A vegetarian San Chow Bao was very pleasing ($7) as was an entree of 6 lightly cooked oysters and 6 delicately prepared steamed scallops ($30) Deep fried soft shell crabs ($7) are much the same everywhere and these were also very acceptable as was tea smoked duck ($33 for a half).
The crab with ginger on a bed of noodles was much to cold tho I wish it had been bigger - a tasty morsel at, I think, $60/kg.
A steamed fish in a light oyster sauce and a serve of chinese mushrooms and mixed vegetables completed a meal just short of being excellent
Wine: Whilst they have a good list you can bring your own which we did -corkage $10
Price: $75 per person gets a pretty good meal
Comments: It took about 20 minutes for steamed rice to arrive after we ordered it. This and the delay between cooking and serving detracted from a very good meal
Score: 15.5/20
Ambience: An elegant, well spaced facility
Service: Somewhat slow resulting in food being much cooler than I would have liked
Food: A vegetarian San Chow Bao was very pleasing ($7) as was an entree of 6 lightly cooked oysters and 6 delicately prepared steamed scallops ($30) Deep fried soft shell crabs ($7) are much the same everywhere and these were also very acceptable as was tea smoked duck ($33 for a half).
The crab with ginger on a bed of noodles was much to cold tho I wish it had been bigger - a tasty morsel at, I think, $60/kg.
A steamed fish in a light oyster sauce and a serve of chinese mushrooms and mixed vegetables completed a meal just short of being excellent
Wine: Whilst they have a good list you can bring your own which we did -corkage $10
Price: $75 per person gets a pretty good meal
Comments: It took about 20 minutes for steamed rice to arrive after we ordered it. This and the delay between cooking and serving detracted from a very good meal
Score: 15.5/20
BG Dumpling Restaurant
Introduction: A replacement for Tasty Cooking at 78 Kingsway Glen Waverley
Ambience: Functional. Enlivened by a substantial number of young Chinese patrons
Service: No frills. Efficient
Food: Nothing to write home about! The recommended hot and sour soup had run out. We tried a won ton dumpling dish and a couple of nameless dishes that looked interesting we saw others eating.
They are substantial (one we decided to take home and it needed two containers) but not exciting to the palate
Wine: They had none!
Price: Extremely inexpensive $8 to $12 for most dishes
Comments: A cafeteria style Chinese fast food shop. No cards Cash only of course
Score: 12/20
Ambience: Functional. Enlivened by a substantial number of young Chinese patrons
Service: No frills. Efficient
Food: Nothing to write home about! The recommended hot and sour soup had run out. We tried a won ton dumpling dish and a couple of nameless dishes that looked interesting we saw others eating.
They are substantial (one we decided to take home and it needed two containers) but not exciting to the palate
Wine: They had none!
Price: Extremely inexpensive $8 to $12 for most dishes
Comments: A cafeteria style Chinese fast food shop. No cards Cash only of course
Score: 12/20
Friday, June 02, 2006
The Grange - Adelaide
Introduction: Reputed to be the best restaurant in Adelaide on the ground floor of the Hilton Hotel. Chef Cheong Liew is one of only two to receive an Order of Australia for his culinary efforts. (The other is Tetsuya!)
Ambience: Somewhat dated decorations. Badly affected by the noise emanating from the adjacent Brasserie and bar which are split level but have no seperation from one to the next
Service: Impeccably mannered young ladies with soft voices had to constantly repeat themselves to be heard and understood. We had no problems but some guests complained of long waiting periods between some courses
Food : I had the 8 course extravaganza titled 'Migration of Ideas, sensory experience'
The menu consited of the following
The four dances of the sea
Soused snok, raw calamari, squid ink noodles,octopus aoli, spiced prawn sushi
Pink snapper fillet, basil dressed pencil squid, black mussel salad.
Snapper head couscous
Sharkfin soup dumplingin venison consomme, poached quail egg
Mamak style marron, coconutfish peppers, fried spatzle
Moscovy hen breast, Cherry vinegar sauce, duck leg in turnip, almond saffron duck liver in pastry
Spiced Wagyu loin, stir fried shitake sugar snap pulse with rocket potato tortellini
Saffron grenadine orange salad with blood orange granite, white mulberry
Grange Dessert Dance
Black rice palm sugar pudding, praline torte, chocolate figs, watermelon fume'
None of these are small serves and after the complimentary lightly cooked oyster with herbs in light soy my ability to appreciate good food began to diminish well before the end of the meal
Everything was quite excellent without picking out any specific item however I rather wonder why so many of the items were there at all. Apart from the shear volume of food there was some lack of balance in the dishes and, of course, between them too.
Wine: There is a good selection by glass or bottle. For $89 they will match each dish with an appropriate wine
Price: $159 for eight courses, $104 for 3 courses or a la carte
Comments: Certainly a culinary experience
Score:16 /20
Ambience: Somewhat dated decorations. Badly affected by the noise emanating from the adjacent Brasserie and bar which are split level but have no seperation from one to the next
Service: Impeccably mannered young ladies with soft voices had to constantly repeat themselves to be heard and understood. We had no problems but some guests complained of long waiting periods between some courses
Food : I had the 8 course extravaganza titled 'Migration of Ideas, sensory experience'
The menu consited of the following
The four dances of the sea
Soused snok, raw calamari, squid ink noodles,octopus aoli, spiced prawn sushi
Pink snapper fillet, basil dressed pencil squid, black mussel salad.
Snapper head couscous
Sharkfin soup dumplingin venison consomme, poached quail egg
Mamak style marron, coconutfish peppers, fried spatzle
Moscovy hen breast, Cherry vinegar sauce, duck leg in turnip, almond saffron duck liver in pastry
Spiced Wagyu loin, stir fried shitake sugar snap pulse with rocket potato tortellini
Saffron grenadine orange salad with blood orange granite, white mulberry
Grange Dessert Dance
Black rice palm sugar pudding, praline torte, chocolate figs, watermelon fume'
None of these are small serves and after the complimentary lightly cooked oyster with herbs in light soy my ability to appreciate good food began to diminish well before the end of the meal
Everything was quite excellent without picking out any specific item however I rather wonder why so many of the items were there at all. Apart from the shear volume of food there was some lack of balance in the dishes and, of course, between them too.
Wine: There is a good selection by glass or bottle. For $89 they will match each dish with an appropriate wine
Price: $159 for eight courses, $104 for 3 courses or a la carte
Comments: Certainly a culinary experience
Score:16 /20
Urban Bistro - Adelaide
Introduction: Set on the ground floor of a former Maternity hospital now converted to upmarket apartments on Fullarton Rd Rose Park
Ambience: No frills cafe style
Service: No frills but helpful.
Food: After a very tasty plate of crisp bintji potato with rosemary salt ($6.5) I had the roast pheasant with endive and pheasant meat salad. Taste was good but this would not fill a hungry client. The toasted cocunut rice with candlenut prawn ($16.9) was also tasty but rather small. The five spice duck pie with chilli, onion jam and chard ($24.9) was probably the pick of the menu. The Side dishes - truffle mash ($6.9) grilled asparagus with soft egg and truffle parmesan were interesting unlike the dull rocket salad
The praline souffle with toffee almond gelati ($13.5) was very good which I would not say for the Passionfruit curd tart with Italian meringue which was fairly ordinary 'tho prettily presented
Wine: BYO corkage $15/ bottle is pretty hot for a fancy cafe
Price: $55/head gets you quite a tasty meal but will probably leave you hungry
Comment: Needs a much nicer venue, better appointments and more comfort and better size serves but the food was very good.
Score 14/20
Ambience: No frills cafe style
Service: No frills but helpful.
Food: After a very tasty plate of crisp bintji potato with rosemary salt ($6.5) I had the roast pheasant with endive and pheasant meat salad. Taste was good but this would not fill a hungry client. The toasted cocunut rice with candlenut prawn ($16.9) was also tasty but rather small. The five spice duck pie with chilli, onion jam and chard ($24.9) was probably the pick of the menu. The Side dishes - truffle mash ($6.9) grilled asparagus with soft egg and truffle parmesan were interesting unlike the dull rocket salad
The praline souffle with toffee almond gelati ($13.5) was very good which I would not say for the Passionfruit curd tart with Italian meringue which was fairly ordinary 'tho prettily presented
Wine: BYO corkage $15/ bottle is pretty hot for a fancy cafe
Price: $55/head gets you quite a tasty meal but will probably leave you hungry
Comment: Needs a much nicer venue, better appointments and more comfort and better size serves but the food was very good.
Score 14/20
Belgian Beer Cafe Bluestone
Introduction: Formerly the Bluestone Cafe at 557 St. Kilda Rd, immediately adjacent to Wesley College
Ambience: In a wonderful old building, formerly the dining hall and kitchen for the school for the blind this space is even better than it's namesake restaurant in Adelaide. Reeks with atmosphere.
Evidently there are about 30 of these franchised restaurants around the world.
Service: Extremely helpful and informative
Food: An entree of deep fried battered mussels with a herb sauce was excellent Mains are similar to those in Adelaide with some variations - I enjoyed a pot of mussels cooked with pumpkin, pine nuts and ricotta. For the less adventurous the Mussel Mariniere were superb.
Wine: A different range of slightly more expensive wines by the glass ($8) and a good range of beers.
Price: 10 - 15% dearer than Adelaide, as most things seem to be.
Comment Good food and good value - good for a fun night
Score: 15/20 Do remember this is marked as a Bistro
Ambience: In a wonderful old building, formerly the dining hall and kitchen for the school for the blind this space is even better than it's namesake restaurant in Adelaide. Reeks with atmosphere.
Evidently there are about 30 of these franchised restaurants around the world.
Service: Extremely helpful and informative
Food: An entree of deep fried battered mussels with a herb sauce was excellent Mains are similar to those in Adelaide with some variations - I enjoyed a pot of mussels cooked with pumpkin, pine nuts and ricotta. For the less adventurous the Mussel Mariniere were superb.
Wine: A different range of slightly more expensive wines by the glass ($8) and a good range of beers.
Price: 10 - 15% dearer than Adelaide, as most things seem to be.
Comment Good food and good value - good for a fun night
Score: 15/20 Do remember this is marked as a Bistro
Belgian Beer Cafe - Adelaide
Introduction: Set in a large, drafty, dark wood panelled room at 27 Ebenezer Place in the heart of Adelaide
Ambience: Plain, old style with lot's of atmosphere
Service: Pleasant
Food: They specialise in mussels prepared with a variety of 'soups' or sauces that they are cooked in. Served in the traditional Belgain pots a kilogram of mussels and a large serve of Belgian style potato chips make a substantial and tasty meal. Generally cream sauce, red sauces, curry and chilli styles are available. They also had a very good fish stew. For the non shellfish eaters Ordinary fish and chips, steak or poultry are also available. They also served an excellent chocolate mousse ($10)
Wine: Well of course they specialise in beer, particularly Belgian, of which Stella Artois is the most popular but there is a good variety for the more adventurous. Wine is also available at very reasonable prices (=$6.5) by the glass or bottle
Price: Mains about $21.5
Comment: an excellent place for a Bistro meal specially for lovers of mussels
Score: As a Bistro 15/20
Ambience: Plain, old style with lot's of atmosphere
Service: Pleasant
Food: They specialise in mussels prepared with a variety of 'soups' or sauces that they are cooked in. Served in the traditional Belgain pots a kilogram of mussels and a large serve of Belgian style potato chips make a substantial and tasty meal. Generally cream sauce, red sauces, curry and chilli styles are available. They also had a very good fish stew. For the non shellfish eaters Ordinary fish and chips, steak or poultry are also available. They also served an excellent chocolate mousse ($10)
Wine: Well of course they specialise in beer, particularly Belgian, of which Stella Artois is the most popular but there is a good variety for the more adventurous. Wine is also available at very reasonable prices (=$6.5) by the glass or bottle
Price: Mains about $21.5
Comment: an excellent place for a Bistro meal specially for lovers of mussels
Score: As a Bistro 15/20
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Maggie Beers Pheasant Farm
Introduction: On Pheasant Farm Rd an hour out of Adelaide in the vicinity of Tanunda - an attractive country town.
Ambience: Set on a very green river with a few ducks about, pheasants in the garden. A real country kitchen
Service: Counter service
Food: They had a pheasant and mushroom pie (called a terrine here) which was a very nice snack. Also available several picnic boxes - a chicken liver pate with caramelised onion, a capsicum pate served with a freekah (wheat) salad which all were snacks rather than meals but very tasty. There are also a small range of exclusive home made icecreams.
Wine: They have Beer Bros wines either by the glass or bottle but I did not care for their Reisling, their Semillon/Chardonnay or their Cab Sav Shiraz!
Comment: Really this is a place to come and taste and buy a wide range of Maggie's products. They have pate's pastes jams wines and more and it would be a rare customer who did not find something to please their palate
Price: Picnic box $12.5 Terrine $15 Wine About $6/glass
Score: 14/20 as a farm shop but don't go for a meal
Ambience: Set on a very green river with a few ducks about, pheasants in the garden. A real country kitchen
Service: Counter service
Food: They had a pheasant and mushroom pie (called a terrine here) which was a very nice snack. Also available several picnic boxes - a chicken liver pate with caramelised onion, a capsicum pate served with a freekah (wheat) salad which all were snacks rather than meals but very tasty. There are also a small range of exclusive home made icecreams.
Wine: They have Beer Bros wines either by the glass or bottle but I did not care for their Reisling, their Semillon/Chardonnay or their Cab Sav Shiraz!
Comment: Really this is a place to come and taste and buy a wide range of Maggie's products. They have pate's pastes jams wines and more and it would be a rare customer who did not find something to please their palate
Price: Picnic box $12.5 Terrine $15 Wine About $6/glass
Score: 14/20 as a farm shop but don't go for a meal
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
RSL Elsternwick
Introduction: Similar to 1000 pubs. Situated in a magnificent building in St Georges Rd close to Glenhuntly Rd
Ambience: Utilitarian
Service: Order at the counter delivered to your table
Food: Whole trout Amandine good but not very good ,as was pot roast beef. Flathead tails and chips very good. Vegetables sit in the Bain Marie too long. Half a dozen salads on the smorgasbord are preferable
Wine: Limited list and even more limited by the glass but very inexpensive @ $3.4 and seniors get a $2 voucher with their meal!
Price: Two courses for $9.90 is cheaper than home cooking and no dishes. Regular menu $12.90still very reasonable
Comment: Quite a decent cheap meal
Score: 13/20 for food 15/20 for value for money!
Ambience: Utilitarian
Service: Order at the counter delivered to your table
Food: Whole trout Amandine good but not very good ,as was pot roast beef. Flathead tails and chips very good. Vegetables sit in the Bain Marie too long. Half a dozen salads on the smorgasbord are preferable
Wine: Limited list and even more limited by the glass but very inexpensive @ $3.4 and seniors get a $2 voucher with their meal!
Price: Two courses for $9.90 is cheaper than home cooking and no dishes. Regular menu $12.90still very reasonable
Comment: Quite a decent cheap meal
Score: 13/20 for food 15/20 for value for money!
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