Food Science Dinner with Dr Peter Barham

Introduction: A repeat of last years 'Science Dinner' at Fenix. After a drink in the foyer the night began with a lengthy introduction by Raymond Capaldi during which he demonstrated some of his tricks. These included the use of 2 meters of plastic tubing from Bunnings to make extra long coconut noodles and other gimmicks more entertaining than useful. He created some nice looking dishes but they were all for show and somewhat inedible
The dinner began with a superb Veloute of Butternut Pumpkin with a dribble of Pine Tree Oil. The rich butternut flavour and perfect consistancy made this fabulous.
The main course of 36 hour braised Spring Lamb was very tender but undistinguished, the flavour not being enhanced by the braising. It was on a bed of absolutely lovely Parsnip Mousseline and accompanied by three tiny cubes of roasted Spring vegetables and a salad for the table.
The flourless chocolate souffle was very overcooked , hard on top and with no soft chocolate centre. The accompanying Gorgonzola Icecream was pleasantly modified by the chocolate topping which, in this case, was under it! The meal finished with tea/coffee and petit fours.
Between courses Dr Peter Barham talked about the origin of the Molecular Food movement and of some of the work he did with Heston Blumenthal illustrated with a series of short videos.
There were a scattering of celebrity chefs in the room including Gabriel Gate and Eric Mohr but far fewer than last year and I suspect they wil not do this dinner again
All in all I found it rather disappointing
Price: $100/ person and buy your wine which was reasonable

Score: 13.25/20

C'est Bon

Introduction: In the heart of Port Melbourne at 396 Bay St this pleasing restaurant is as French as its' name
Ambiance: In a large stylishly outfitted wooden floored room with good space between white linen covered tables speaks of a good quality surburban restaurant
Service: So efficient that I found it a little abrupt
Food: We ate through a moderate amount of the menu and were generally well satisfied. The quiche with generous serve of bugs on a camembert filled tarte was quite excellent. quenelles were pleasant without being outstanding as were the duck salad and the Tarte with tomato a salad with tomato and fetta cheese.
Each of the mains - roasted rabbit, a little dry, the crispy skin duck sauce a little lacking , pork and the eye fillet were also very good but all missed out on being excellent. Portions were a good size as were the side dishes of French fries and beans
Desserts were variable. The Creme Brulee was the best example of this dish i have ever had. The chocolate mousse, on the other hand was very ordinary
Wine: Moet by the glass excellent as was sauv/blanc and the 2002 Chateau Rame bordeau very good value at $42/ bottle
Price; At the top end for a bistro at the 'Paris end' of Bay St We paid $360 which included a 10% tip
Comments: I love French food and there are still so many things on this menu that I want to try I will come back again
Score: 14/20

Verge

Introduction: Highly regarded Japanese influenced modern restaurant at 1 Flinders Lane deserves the high ratings of the Age Good Food Guide and Gourmet Traveller
Ambience: Bare concrete walls and ceiling contrast with the snow white table linen, good quality cutlery and the pleasant views across Spring Street if you get an appropriate table. A little stark but inoffensive. The tables are VERY close to each other. At the next table I could not help overhearing world renowned Swedish trombonist, composer and conductor Christian Lindbergh. Ranked with Louis Armstrong I was delighted to hear him perform later that night with the Australian Chamber Orchestra! 6/10
Service: Pleasing waitress made us feel we had chosen well. The long wait between courses was immediatewly rectified on our request 7/10
Food: There is a 5 course tasting menu for $80 with a $5 surcharge if you have the Wagyu porterhouse (we did) Unlike most degustation menus, which remove the need for thought except to ask for a change where something does not suit, at Verge the patron chooses any 5 dishes from the regular menu.
We had Crab and pickled cucumber, makerel and Diakon maki, a Tortellini of brandade, fresh horseradish, bisque sauce, a confit of salmon 'escabesche', salmon caviar, cauliflower and tofu puree, Chargrilled beef brisket, sweet and sour turnips, mustard miso with grade 7 Wagyu and dessert of Millefeuille of pear and hazelnut, and Maracaibo chocolate sorbet.
Every dish was beautifully presented - art on a plate. Colourfully arranged the tastes were always interesting and sometimes exquisite. The salmon was wonderful and although the brisket was overcooked and therefore rather dry the sweet and sour turnips and mustard miso was unbelievable. 8.5/10
Wine; They have a highly regarded wine list with good range from $10 to $15 a glass
We completed the meal with tea and Petit fours - $2 each and delicious
Price: Entrees around $17 Mains ariond $35 desserts $15 On the expensive side but reasonable value
Comments: Regretably my camera gave up the ghost that morning and I was unable to photograph the dishes. They really were a delight to the eye as well as the taste buds.
Score: 15.5/20

More from 'The Editor'

What a strange thing this Sydney/Melbourne thng is. Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide has just come out with TEN 3 star Sydney restaurants and only ONE in Melbourne (and not any in the rest of Australia!)
I've had the pleasure of eating at a few of these establishments, including Pier and whilst I don't disagree with their fine ratings I do think they are extremely Sydneycentric
Despite Victorian restaurants having picked up a swag of awards they seem to me to be sadly under rated and a very uneven selection.
Some examples Isthmu of Kra doesn't get a mention, nor does Fenix which is ridiculous in my view. Mercers, which was there a few years ago s dropped out - they deserve to be there. I wold certainly put Orita or Akita in before Bar Lourinha and how did Gingerboy get in in front of them?? Flower Drum is largely living on its reutation it is good but terribly dull whilst Lau's Family Ktchen is surely only there because of Gilbert Lau's reputation. The food there is also good but the menu is extremely limited.

What we realy need in Victoria is the equivalent of the American Zagat Guide. Over 300.000 patrons offer their opinions on restaurants!
Am I right or am I wrong?

Special Events ...... Les Toques Blanche................La Chaine at Matteos

Les Toques Blanche

I was exceptionally pleased to atend the 17th Annual Grand Gala Dinner of Les Toques Blanche - the white hats. This is the name of an organization of executive chef's. Currently under the presidency of Massimo d'Lucca it has some 120 members. Executive chefs include largely unheard of chefs of major corporations, law firms and so forth.
Some 500 formally dressed guests were entertained at the Regent's Plaza ballroom with a pot pourie of pieces from the Phantom of the Opera - the theme of the evening.
On arrival we were offered a 2001Clover Hill Blanc de Blanc bubbly or a 2006 Buddha's wine rose.
On entering the ballroom we found a variety of masks at our places. Each table was adorned with a centrepiece- a foot square cube of ice in the centre of which was a half mask, phantom style, and a rose.


The meal began with 'Phantom Intimacy' four delights. A South Australian oyster with champagne vinegar and shallot dressing, a prawn cocktail on a fine onion, tomato and cucumber salsa, a seared scallop on a pea puree with lemon oil and a winter salad. this was accompanied by a 2001 White Box Heathcote Voignier or a Buddha's 2004Sangiovese if you preferred
A great start to the night

The next entree was a duck conft with porcini mushroom agnolotto, in a pinot noir reduction. Another outstanding dish.
The main course was oven roasted crusted lamb with mint eggplant caviar, potatosubric and piquant sauce accompanied by the best wine of the night a 2005 White Box Heathcote Shiraz Voignier.

A cheese platter preceded the Plaza Ballroom dessert Symphony - a mini ginger and roast cardomon creme brulee, a dark/white chocolate truffle mousse, a fine sauterne jelly with berry fruits and an almond strawberry tart with gold leaf.

It is indeed a rare event to get excellent food in a party of 500. I hope to be able to try it again next year

La Chaine des Rotisseurs

Matteo's new chef, Brendan McQueen produced an outstanding meal accompanied by well maching wines selected by wine master Peter Millington.

Starting with a large Pacific oyster with a cucumber and salmon caviar salsa and a Louis Roderer Brut Premier NV Champaigne the meal continued with Antipaso di Pesce a superb tasting .trilogy consisting of a lightly cured Carpaccio of Hiramasu Kingfish, prawn remoulade, a seared scallop, 'baccala' salt cod brandade and a smoked eel on a coddled egg salad. This was accompanied by a 2006 Bollini Pinot Grigio from the Nth East of Italy.
An absolutely outstanding very large forest mushroom raviolo with sauteed cavolo nero, chestnuts and Porchini mushroom sauce was served with a 2004 Felsina Chianti Classico a heavier chianti than most matching the strong tasting raviolo

The main course 'Osso bucco' style braised veal shank in crepinette with bone marrow dumpling, roasted parsnip puree and slow roasted cherry tomatoes was also outstanding and was well matched with a Poderi Colla Barbera d'Alba 2005 red

It appears that the wine was affecting my focus!

The dessert of poached beurre Bosc pear, Zablaglone and pistachio biscotti with a lovely Vin Santo Vigna del Papa was a fine finale with a double strength long black for the road!
A memorable meal
Whilst these dishes are not on the regular Matteo's menu the do serve variations of themand it will not be too long before I return to again try McQueens' fine fare

Stokehouse

Introduction: A culinary institution at 30 Jacka Boulevarde, St. Kilda Ph 9525 5555. It has a casual downstairs bar and restaurant and a more upmarket upstairs dining room.
Ambience: Feels like quality but not excessively refined. The ultra modern chandeliers made from plastic dinner implements that have been heated and twisted contrast with the art work - rather naive Tahitian stuff roughly in the style of Paul Gaugin the French stockbrocker turned artist (could a few more of them please do that too?)
Service: Very professional
Food: Despite several changes of head chef over the last four years every review I've read has been rapturous about the food, and the service and the venue. Well the venue is as attractive as ever - great views across the bay, white table cloths and linen serviettes, an open airy and clearly refined establishment. The sevice is as above and the food - well I have only good things to say about it. Entrees, mains and desserts were as good as they get. Italian inspired international.
Mussels in a light creamy soup, not too salty, with just the right amount of wine were a great start. The pork loin with slow cooked pork neck was beautifully prepared and presented with taste to match. The fillet of John Dory did nothing to diminish the reputation of the chef.
Desserts were to die for. The lemon tart delicate and mouth wateringly yummy.
Wine: Extensive but not necessarily expensive list with an adequate variety by the glass
Price: Not much more than at many far less impressive places. Around $40 for mains
Comments: Not only can you enjoy the food but the scenary often includes more than the bay - good place for celebrity spotting however Eddie McGuire and Sonia McMahon both failed to notice me!
Score: 16.5/20

Editors comment

When I started this blog about 2 and 1/2 years ago, it was with the idea that it would provide me with an aide memoire of the many restaurants that I go to. It would act as a record and a diary.
It soon changed.
I began to feel that there was something missing from food journalism as represented in our daily newspapers and food magazines. There were a relatively few people who had become , I'd like to say, because I just thought of it, the gurus of gluttony. The rest of us, you and me, never get a look in. What's more the opinions I was reading were quite often well wide of what I and my friends thought but there was never any opportunity to say so, so God bless the internet. It's not that the food press is all that bad but it's off a very narrow base and the central characters have barely changed in 10 years
The next stage was for me to not only write my reviews but also to invite opinions, and reviews from any one who might care to make an offering.
As with the other blogs that I've come across there is no commercial aspect to this it's just for information and fun. It would be great to get some more input from you all
Now who knows what those who read these blogs are really interested in. That's a question that I'd love answered because I would be delighted to tailor my blog to make it more appealing and at the same time, hopefully, get a lot more views about a lot more restaurants.
How about it

Jamon Sushi

Charles at work

Introduction: This is a specialist tiny sushi restaurant at 3 Murphy St, South Yarra Ph 98045710
This is a unique one man show. Working behind a small bar which seats about 7 patrons Charles, the chef acts as artist/cook, teacher, philosopher and host. He has a passion for what he does producing wonderful sushi combinations.

The service is slow and the Japanese waitresses difficult to understand but patience is rewarded
Food: Jamon prides itself on 'fresh today' Rather than a menu there is a list of Ocean (seafood) and Earth (vegetables). The dishes are combinations of both designed to be pleasing to look at and provide interesting textures and tastes.

Here is a list of the products we had

Ocean

oysters, 'coffin bay' and octopus, (sa), yellowfin tuna and swordfish (nsw), ocean trout (tas), king prawns (qld), squid (vic), 'unagi' grilled eel and 'tobiko' flying fish caviar (japan) and 'ikura' almon caviar

Earth

fresh wasabi root, mushrooms - shimeji, shitake, fungus, portobello, swiss browns, enoki, oyster, japanese snow mushrooms, okra zucchini, daikon, snow peas, ch. brocolli, whitlof, sugar peas, konbu & wakame seaweed (japan) 'takuan'- pickled daikon, asparagus, 'kimichi' -sw chilli pickled ch. cabbage, 'oshinko' - japanese pickles and nashi fruit

There are no commercial sauces used

It is not appropriate to go through these delights dish by dish instead I have put in a few photographs. My apologies about their quality.



I would however highlight 2 specially intertesting items - the dashi a fantstic broth made from the heads of prawn and the exquisite textural and taste sensation from the lightly poached snow mushroom
Wine: There is a small list available by the glass or bottle. We enjoyed a chianti (Peppolo I think) and a William Fevre Chablis
Price: Four degustations snack, regular deluxe and gourmet range from $35 to $140. The major determinants of the price are the number of courses and the amount of effort in the design and presentation of the food.
Comments: Charles is a purist and eating at Jambon is all about the interface between the patron, the chef and the finest and freshest available produce. Individually dishes served moments after they have been expertly prepared can never be matched by large restaurants. No commercial sushi comes within cooee of Jambon
Score: 16.5/20

The Horn

Introduction: An African Cafe Music Lounge at 20 Johnston St. Collingwood. Opened less than a month ago by Peter, a professional saxophonist, and his wife Enushu a singer, this is my second experience of Ethiopian food.
Ambience: This is a very small restaurant and would vary in ambience considerably depending on the clientelle. Simply furnished with plain small wooden tables that can be pushed together for groups. A few small artifacts and brightly dyed curtains give it the "African" colour
Service: Extremely personal and sincere - our waiter being the proprieter.
Food: An experience. Between ten of us I think we ate through almost the entire menu and what a pleasure it was. We began with samosa's. Served with a sort of mild tomato chutney the lamb samosa's are filled with minced lamb and black lentils fill the vegetarian samosas they were a reasonable size and very tasty.
Ethiopians traditionally eat with the right hand, tearing off pieces of injera, a sort of large flat round slightly yeasty bread, and scooping up food in the injera.

It takes 3 minutes to make a round of injera on this electricly heated ceramic pan

A large plate with a salad on one side and a rolled up piece of injera duly arrived followed by a variety of dishes in small tureens. There are both vegetarian (dairy free) and carnavorian stews at around $13 to $18/ dish.
We had a red lentil stew, a split pea stew, a vegetable and dahl combination, a red beef stew, a lamb stew and a free range chicken dish. All these had a variety of traditional spices as well as familiar garlic, chilli and ginger. None of the dishes were excessively hot and I will be happy to come back and have them again. Unfortunately I found the injera rather tasteless ad it might have been nicer if it had been warm.
The dessert - Boola Surprise, mae from ground banna tree root is a creation of Enushu. Rather sweet it is served in a large cup. Layered with a sort of creamy mousse, biscuit and topped with a dash ofhoney and nuts it's just the thing for a sweet tooth!
Wine: fully liceced or BYO The house reds ($29), a shiraz which was just OK and acab/sav which I disliked encourage me to bring my own. Corkage $2
Price: Around $25/ head plus drinks gets a pretty solid meal
Comments: They're doing all sorts of things to get this place going including live Jazz Thursday nights,

Coffee ceremonies 1.00 to 3.00 pm Sat and Sun, where green coffee beans are washed and roasted, ground and infused with jebena. Pay by donation with 50% going to an Ethiopian charity and traditional skista dance nights and competitions.

Score: 13.75/20

Bistro Vue

Introduction: At the side and rear of Shannon Bennet's fabulous Vue de Monde entrance via Chanery Lane, next to Normanby Chambers at 530 Little Collins St. in the CBD Ambience: A kind of upmarket bistro with parketry floors, wooden inlaid tables, white linen napkins but no cloths and comfortable padded straw back chairs. Spread over 2 rooms there are some rather plush banquettes. Service : Unike most French bistro's in Melbourne where abruptness and even rudeness from the waiters is par for the course here the service is peerless. The attention is unflaggingly polite, the explanations patiet and thorough. Full marks Oliver.
Food: Interesting! The entree of mussels ($18) was in a particularly salty soup. A complaint to the waiter resulted in a fresh dish of mussels being prepared which was much more acceptable although no salt had been added to the first one.

The French onion sou ($12) was beautifully presented in a La Creusette pot with a decorated pastry top. The soup was a little short on onions and sweetness because of the degree to which the onions had been caramelised. Nevertheless it was pretty satisfying.
There is a regular plat de jour which changes daily. It comes with a leaf salad or pot of cassoulet and a glass of wine ($32) I had the mixed grill, that's Wednesdays offering. All in a rich well reduced jus, the lamb was excellent, the tongue, liver and kidney a little overcooked, the sweatbreads very very good and the wine quite pleasant. This is not the place to come for wagyu steak ($29). The Potage Palourdes , a curry soup with clams ($22) an interesting dish which I find to small as a main course and the lamb galette rather poor value at $33.
We had only one dessert the Creme Brullee I needn't shout BUT THIS WAS THE EQUAL OF ANY Creme Brulee I have ever eaten ANYWHERE!
Wine: Areasonable, small list - see their enu and wine list on their web site http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/
Price: A bit dearr than most bistro's but not off the planet
Comments; I'm keen to go back for a tste of a few more things on their menu
Score: 14.25/20

TOMATO

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Check it out at www.tomatom.com