PM 24 (Melbourne)

There is an old advertisement that has the tag "When your on a good thing stick to it." We enjoyed PM 24 so much a couple of weeks ago that we came back to try some other dishes and we were not disappointed.This time we tried French onion soup, a very filling, winters dish with plenty of taste.
The caramelized onion and cheese on a bread base were as good as it gets.
The degustation charcuterie ($25) was first class, absolutely the best,
with superb chicken liver pate surrounded by a few slices of spicy sausage, jambon, some duck breast, a pork rillette and outstanding foie gras and pork terrine served with toasted brioche. Tiny pickled gherkins, or cornichons, were served in a separate container so one could have as many as one wished.
We could watch the rotisserie from where we sat and wondered if we should choose the one and a half kilo line caught Snapper, for two,
but settled for two pork dishes.
A pork duo was yet another excellent choice. ($36) Braised trotter and pork belly with a lentils ragout in natural jus was matchless.
There is a magnificent double rotisserie which stands out as a feature in the kitchen. The rotisseried pork loin ($37.5)
was accompanied by a superb braised red cabbage, which is hidden by the meat here, and sage jus.
Very large serves and very filling we could not manage a dessert!
After Louis Roderer to start ($24/glass) we drank a very pleasant Gamay, Beaujolais, ($42 the half bottle served in a carafe).
Yet another triumph for Phillipe Mouchel who supervised every dish before it was served to a customer.
Returnabilty factor 10/10

Chatter 37 Buddha's hand Citron

It is not surprising that a fruit as unusual as this should be surrounded by more mythology than most. It's a variation on a citron which appears to have developed about 1000 years ago in China. The citron seems to have originated in India, before making its way to China and Japan, and has been known for almost 3000 years.
It is characterized by a pleasant strong citrus like aroma causing it to be used in clothes cupboards where it is thought , by some. to kill moths. Despite being inedible, with a thick rind and minimal core of fruit it is also left in fruit bowls to perfume rooms. The zest is tasty and the skin can be candied. It has a reputation as an antidote to poisons, but I would not rely on it, and is regarded as a holy fruit by the Jews who use it at the Feast of the Tabernacles (Shavuot)
It grows well in temperate climates. Curiously, although they always have more than five 'fingers' descriptions of the fruit almost invariably describe it as having five fingers, even when accompanied by photographs clearly depicting more than that!
This example was given to me by Louis Glowinski, author of the definitive book "Fruit Growing in Australia" and was grown in his garden in Caulfield, an inner Melbourne suburb.

Golden Fields (St.Kilda) 07/2011

People are constantly opening, and also closing, restaurants. Who knows what the magic is that makes some so very successful whilst others languish. Of course the food is important but there are so many other factors which play their part. I would venture to say that, for some, it's the reputation of the chef, the venue and fit out is important for some but not others, service counts too as does ambiance that hard to define feeling you get, created by the everything about a place is another important factor. An indifferent wine list matters to some and the mark up on wines my also act as a deterrent and price is important for many, Of course everyone wants 'value'. Position also seems of varying importance.
Most people who come to Golden Fields come deliberately, there is no shingle hanging out the front and the name is in quite small lettering on the door, they could not book a table but they are going anyway. Whatever their reasons plenty of them come. Our motives were mixed. We certainly like Andrew McConnels' cooking
We had no trouble getting a table although it was quite busy. The stone floor and almost bare walls reflected a lot of noise but the atmosphere was agreeable. The place has a sterile, in the hospital sense, feel about it. A long white tiled bar
and white walls with chicken feet coat hangers,
bare tables and minimal settings all contribute.
The first thing brought to the table is a small dish of seasoned, roasted pumpkin seeds which take the place of bread and butter and and the menu, on both sides of a sheet of quality paper. It's divided into some small piquant bites, Raw, To Start, Salads and Vegetables, Meat and Fish and Dessert. Designed for sharing courses are brought to the table one by one. To get a good range of dishes we chose a meal of starters and one main course. We broke the ice with shredded cabbage, Moreton Bay bugs Kampot pepper and mint ($17)
A very delicate dish this was very bland and under seasoned, the bugs were barely cooked, moist and tender. We next had "Pork and Prawn" fried school prawns, pig tail scratchings, garlic mayo. ($12).
The scratchings similar to crackling and the prawns, full of flavour, and could be eaten just as they were or with a light chili sauce or mayo. New England lobster roll, hot buttered bun, cold poached crayfish watercress and Kewpie. ($15)
is a bit like a crayfish burger but the the cray was too delicate and lost in this format. Our next course was rustic pork dumpling with Shanghai chili vinegar (2pc) ($9)

The last of these was twice cooked duck, steamed bread, vinegar and plum sauces (3pc) ($20) actually referred to three pieces of the steamed bread which tastes like a beijing bun. the leg had been cooked sous vide then coated in bean paste and deep fried. Frequently twice cooked duck legs are dry tend to coarseness and lack flavour. This was the complete opposite.
Served with two sauces and a couple of pieces of fresh cucumber the patron chooses how to eat this.
We made Peking duck style delights, splitting the steamed bread
and dipping into the sauces.
By now we were ready for the main course. Whole roasted flounder,lime, sorrel, burnt butter ($32) turned out to be headless. I have this old idea that, as a fish is born with a head on it, no matter how unattractive, or useless, a whole fish should have a head on it. Regardless it was an outstanding dish, served with mayo, tartare sauce was not available! We both missed bread and butter and asked for a serve of steamed bread. I found it on the bill at $8 for the four pieces.
The wine list is quite limited with a small range by the glass.
We ended the meal with baked meringue, vanilla rose and lychee. We're sure to be back here again to eat through more of the menu and soon.
Score 15/20

Bistrot d' Orsay (Melbourne) 07/2011

Next door to the Atheneum Theatre, across the road from the Regent Theatre and around the corner from the Melbourne Town Hall this little restaurant suffers from a pre theatre rush from about 5.00 pm until 8.00 pm when it is completely filled with patrons who want to eat and run.
Under these circumstances the chefs do a fantastic job, and so do the waiters.
We had quite acceptable waiting times and we had a 3 course meal in about an hour and a half.
Tables are small and crowded and the place is naturally noisy and bustling. Decor is art noveau with unusual lights and a ceiling fresco which looks like some sort of rural bacchanalian scene, perhaps related to the harvest.
Bottled wines stand in alcoves beneath the ceiling.
We started with a goats cheese souffle on beetroot with walnuts, very similar to what we had the two nights before at Pm24 and equally good. The souffle was light and had risen well and the beetroot, in small cubes here, and nut were not worse than Mouchel's offering. A bouillabaisse as an entree, or main, was flavoursome and had plenty of seafood in it.Beef cheek is not an ideal pre theatre meal as it is usually rich and heavy.
This was no exception, very tender in a pleasing reduction, on a bed of mash potato. It was a very good sized serve.
A sea food linguine was much more appropriate.
Excellent pasta and full of sea food.
For dessert we had a couple of scoops ice cream which were barely worth mentioning.
A solid meal it cost about $65 p/p including two glasses of wine.
Score:13.5/20

PM24 (Melbourne) 07/2011

The stars and planets seemed to have come into conjunction for Philippe Mouchel at his latest restaurant. After a dazzling start 20+ years ago at Bocuse in Daimaru he seemed to struggle a bit. Most recently he had to compete with the hype of Bistro Guillame, where, in our view, the cooking was less than ordinary. Away from all of that now he has really hit his straps.
The open kitchen allows him a visible presence while he can supervise every dish that goes out.
Neil, of At My Table ( www.http://tankeduptaco.blogspot.com ) and Dorothy, shared a fine meal with us at a very reasonable price.
There was no pretense about it all. Delicious warm crisp crusted sour dough rolls were presented in a small sac
with a dish of home made salmon pate.

Entrees were extremely good. A goats cheese souffle ($21.5) on roasted beetroot carpaccio with caramelized walnuts
was light with good flavour, A cured New Zealand King salmon ($19.5) with a very light cucumber a la creme and a horseradish cream
was superb. We shared a main course, a special not on the printed menu, as another entree,
a Pithivier,, a French round puff pastry pie which can have a variety of contents. It was packed with venison and foie gras. Not too rich but exceptionally tasty, and very very good.
Praised by food journalists for their rotisseried corn fed duck,, a serve for two, ($40 p/p) we were not going to miss the best duck dish in the country and we were not disappointed.
The breast perfectly cooked, was full of taste and almost meltingly tender for Sandra but, for some unknown reason, rather firmer for me. It came with a celeriac puree, poached figs and a spiced jus that was not too intense and added to the pleasure of the duck. The leg meat had been shredded and fried in Japanese bread crumbs, a bit like a crumbed rilllette, it was also moist and retained the flavour of the meat. The puree and the figs were a great accompaniment, it was a fantastic main course.
We had a side dish of ($7.5) French fries and a bowl of French style garden fresh baby peas ($8) with a little blanched lettuce
to round out the meal before the desserts.We tried three of them.
Their creme bruleel was as good as they get with a perfect rich creamy textured custard.
A pearr souffle with a scoop of ice cream light and pleasing.
The least pleasing dish of the night was a degustation dessert
made up of creme caramel, a slice of chocolate cake, a tart with berries and a couple of scoops of ice cream.
A moment after the desserts were finished our waiter approached with an attractive bowl of marsh mellow
from which four pieces were cut and placed on a saucer.
There is plenty to choose from on the menu including a five course degustation menu for the table ($95 or $155 with matched wines). Most mains are under $40.
The wine list is international, extensive and on the expensive side. By the glass they start at $12. We drank Chateau Tour du Haut Moulin Cru Bourgeoise, 2001 ($95) which was well past it's best and Chateau La Bourdieu Cru Bourgeoise, 2005 ($85) which was full of fruit and close to it's peak.
This was an very excellent meal in the style of a normal three course dinner where first quality products benefited from first class cooking.
Score: 17.5/20

Lui Bar (Melbourne) 06/2011

Step out of the lift at the 55th floor of the Rialto building and you find yourself facing an impressive rectangular bar lit by powerful overhead lights shining through odd shaped plastic sacs perhaps symbolizing clouds.
This is The Lui Bar, Shannon Bennetts latest endeavour to woo, and wow the public.
Friday was a preview night so it's hard to draw conclusions but it does make an impression. Firstly there is the room, dimly lit, filled with a variety of chaise lounges, small arm chairs, covered chairs and stools with small round tables on tripod legs. It's comfortable, crowded, and yet intimate, it reminds me of a prohibition era speakeasy. Then there's the view. It is truly breathtaking. Melbourne looks wonderful at night. It's cliched to say it but there is an unobstructed sea of lights over the suburbs stretching for miles, showing us what a fabulous city this is.
There is a somewhat contrived theme for the night. From about 1860 with the gold rushes Melbourne was an exceptionally wealthy town and there was an attempt to capture some elements of tha with the cocktailst.
Seated at the bar there was a pre drink offering of a bag of tapioca chips, salty, feather light and crisp they are a perfect bar snack.
The first cocktail was a macadamia liqueur with vodka.
Sweet and light it's one good way of eating a macadamia nut! This was served with 'chicken soup', a small block of gelatinized chicken soup sat on some chopped carrot and grains of pasta a small pot with a gold lining.
Pouring hot water dissolved the gelatin and produced the soup. Very cute and it would have been nice if it had some seasoning. Adding some tapioca chips fixed it.
This was followed by a Sherry cobbler, a common drink at that time, with green apple liqueur and vodka in a glass filled with ice chips.
The lavish use of ice was a sign of affluence in 1860's Melbourne where ice was brought from America. This was served with a couple of oysters with a brown butter emulsion and a sardine on a strip of bread.
The next cocktail called a Lola Montez spider fizz was a variation on a Bellini using a quince nectar base.
Lola Montez performed here about that time and had an act where she lifted her skirts and shocked the audience both by sowing more of Lola than they expected at the same time as dropping spiders from under her skirts. The accompanying bacon and egg donuts would have matched any cocktail.
A single Ethiopian coffee bean coktail with a duck foie fras under a pastry cover followed
before a chocolate mousse topped with berries and wood sorrel.

The Albion (Dandenong) 06/2011

This comfortable hotel, built in 1881 is proud of its history and boasts a wall of interesting early photographs 0f the area when Dandenong was more like a small village than a suburb of Melbourne.

It has a restaurant set up in the modern fashion with a variety of shapes and sizes of bare wood tables and comfortable chairs that would not be out of place in any city restaurant. Brick walls and the brown wood furniture all add to a pleasant ambiance.

There is an extensive uncomplicated menu with special lunch time deals for seniors, ‘though the serves are not as big as the regular meals.

I had their roast pork.
Two large slices of pork with excellent crackling and the traditional apple sauce. It was accompanied by a mass of vegetables, roast potato, roast pumpkin, cauliflower and broccoli.A big meal it was good, solid country cooking. Thoroughly satisfying. A mixed platter of crumbed sea food had heaps of prawns, scallops and a large fillet of fish on a pile of chips as well as a small salad.
Served with a tartare sauce, the sea food was heavily crumbed quite moist and another satisfying meal. Not haute cuisine by any means but a very decent meal.

Score: 13.5/20