Arisoo

Finding a home on Abbotsford’s Victoria Street, Arisoo exudes a casual and welcoming environment.

In line with its social setting, the menu items are primarily designed for sharing, with dishes divided into user friendly sections. The menu is abundant with options and features authentic Korean combined with modern techniques and twists alongside excellent service.

The home-made banchan are extremely addictive condiments. Each wonderful in its own right, they were a brilliant accompaniment to our enlivening culinary journey at Arisoo.

Assorted Korean pancakes

We enjoyed the assorted Korean pancakes comprising of a few kimchi pancakes, seafood & chive pancakes and mini seafood nuggets. The seafood & chive pancake was of particular note, boasting a crispy and light texture courtesy of being made from wheat flour and pan-fried with the perfect amount of heat. 

Spicy Japchae

The Spicy Japchae noodles were an absolute stand out. While many Korean restaurants in Melbourne serve Japchae, Arisoo’s variety are a cut above. The slippery stir-fried sweet potato starch noodles had the perfect balance of sweetness, savouriness and umami flavours and were enhanced by just the right amount of spiciness. Highly recommended!

Spicy soft tofu stew made with seafood and egg

Army base stew - Ham and sausage stew with kimchi, assorted vegetables

Arisoo are also famous for their delicious stews which are a labour of love and made from scratch. The resultant stock used is unsurprisingly a concoction of decadently rich, unadulterated flavours. We loved sampling their Spicy soft tofu stew and Army base stew - Both unctuous liquid gold which went well with either noodles or rice. 

Three flavours of fried chicken - Original fried chicken, Sweet and Spicy Fried chicken and Soy garlic fried chicken

The meaty fried chicken morsels were each crusted with a flavoursome spice mix and then perfectly fried to achieve a moreishly crunchy exterior.  Each flavour was delicious and distinct. A must-order when visiting Arisoo.

Marinated pork belly with chilli sauce base

Marinated pork belly with soy sauce base 

Our final savoury dishes were plates of glistening pork belly slices. Plates that evoked excitement upon arrival, each slice of pan fried pork belly consisted of perfectly delicate layers of pork fat which exploded with intense porky goodness with each bite. Both the chilli sauce base and the soy sauce base delivered - merely a matter of preference for more of a spicy kick or an umami hit. 

Hoddeok A-La-Mode

The hoddeok took us back to the streets of Korea - Wonderfully crisp on the outside and filled with gooey melted sugar, aromatic cinnamon and crunchy nuts. 

Banana flambé served with vanilla ice cream sprinkled with ground peanuts and slivered almonds

For the less adventurous, the banana flambé will ensure your visit to Arisoo ends on a delightfully sweet note. Arisoo’s banana flambé is a classic French dessert done well. 

Arisoo delivers high quality Korean cuisine and assimilates perfectly in Melbourne’s casual dining scene.  The food produced adheres to a very high standard and looks to both surprise and please.

Location: 285A Victoria St, Abbotsford

Phone: (03) 9943 5615

Link: Facebook 

Cuisine: Korean

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Arisoo.

Table Lamp Restaurant & Bar

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of The Table Lamp.

The Table Lamp delights with modern Asian fusion cuisine in ornate surrounds.

The dining room seeks to transport diners to Asia with Balinese art and beautiful birdcages.

Golden Whiskers Scallops

The Asian-influenced menu has Western touches and showcases Head Chef Alex Chin's fusion cooking which has benefited from his experiences whilst working in top kitchens in the UK and Australia.

Pumpkin and truffle soup

The pumpkin and truffle soup was the highlight of our dinner at The Table Lamp. Particularly noteworthy for its fragrance and complexity, the soup was appetisingly laced with truffle oil and had a silky smooth consistency.

Flaming Racks

Buttery Tiger

The prawns were another stunning dish.  Very fresh and cooked beautifully, the prawns were sufficiently seasoned and flavoursome. They had also benefited from their time on the charcoal grill and achieved the perfect degree of outer charring.

Fried ice cream

The Table Lamp’s take on the traditional fried ice cream was delicious. The ice cream was coated in a crisp crumb coating that was ethereally light and laced with mango and raspberry sauce. It was a pleasant end to our meal. 

With surrounds conducive for enjoying a few rounds of their delectable cocktails, The Table Lamp surprises with exquisite food best enjoyed when shared with others.

Location: Level 1, 280 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Phone: 1300 899 988 
Link: http://www.tablelampp.com.au/
Cuisine: Asian, Fusion, Bar & Grill

Dinner @ Jasper Kitchen

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Jasper Hotel.

Jasper Kitchen and JB's Bar have recently received a seven million dollar facelift and is now officially open for business.

Head Chef Bruno Lima serves seasonal, free range and organic produce supplied straight from their neighbour - Queen Victoria Market - in their new menu.

Chef Lima began with Jasper Hotel in March 2012 - bringing with him more than 12 years of experience from Melbourne and overseas restaurants including Dock 31 and Vyve Café - at both of which he was Head Chef - as well as experience as Bluestone Bar Restaurant and the Hilton London Metropol - where he first began his career.

Chef Lima's extensive travel is the inspiration behind the Jasper Kitchen menu; influences from South America, Europe and Australia have led to his commitment to deliver a menu of uncompromising honesty, simplicity and freshness.

Seta al Ajillo

Chef Lima's Brazilian background shines through the JB's Bar Tapas Menu. We enjoyed their mouth-watering Seta al Ajillo (mushrooms cooked in garlic, olive oil and chilli) and Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Prawns in Olive Oil and Wine).

Gambas al Ajillo

The tapas menu is best indulged by the bar or in the alfresco dining area that backs on to Elizabeth Street with a refreshing drink.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

We also enjoyed one of Jasper Kitchen’s entrees, the Vietnamese Chicken Salad which was a vibrant concoction of Char Grilled Chicken Tenderloin with Rice Noodles, fresh Asian Herbs, and Toasted Cashews and dressed with a tangy Lime and Ginger Dressing.

Victorian Western District Lamb Rack Char Grilled Rack of Lamb served Medium Rare with Honey Glazed Parsnip and wilted Baby Spinach and Apple Cider Jus 

This dish was simple, homely and well executed. The lamb was roasted to a tender and juicy pink and was exceedingly flavoursome and "melt in the mouth".

Free Range Chicken Breast Oven Roasted Chicken Breast Wrapped in Prosciutto served with Potato Fondant, Witlof, Edible Flower Salad and Balsamic and Herb Jus

The chicken was tender and superbly cooked and wrapped in crispy Prosciutto which added an addictive salinity to the dish. 

Our dinner at Jasper Hotel ended on a decadent note with a duo of desserts.

Toasted Almond Pannacotta

Warm Chocolate Fondant Pudding

Both desserts were well-made and very enjoyable to eat.

Jasper Kitchen pleases with modern, fusion dining at the top end of Elizabeth Street, a welcomed addition to this part of town which is currently known for its high quality ethnic cuisines. 

Location: Jasper Hotel, 489 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne

Phone: 03 8327 2777

Link: http://www.jasperhotel.com.au/

Cuisine: Spanish, Fusion, Modern Australian, Asian

Moo-light in the Jardin

Gastrology bloggers attended the event courtesy of Jardin Tan.

Melbourne chef and entrepreneur Shannon Bennett has extended his passion for food fusion and reinterpretation to include craft beers that also put their own spin on traditional styles.

Bennett formally launched his connection with Tasmanian craft brewery Moo Brew at his newly established “Jardin Tan” eatery at the Royal Melbourne Botanical Gardens last week. 

Moo Brew – known for its five premium craft beers and unique sculptural bottles labelled with John Kelly artworks – was the brainchild of fellow visionary entrepreneur David Walsh; the man behind Tasmania’s world-renowned MONA (the Museum of Old and New Art). 

Bennett sees Moo Brew as a great match given their reputation for stylistic beers that transcends core styles – but with their own twist with Jardin Tan which takes French Vietnamese cuisine and imbues it with farm to table philosophy. 

Gastrology was pleased to attend the Moo-light in the Jardin media launch which featured John Kelly artworks plus some new, exciting Bennett sourced artworks from David Teplitzky including Sigalit Landau: 4 Love Heaters, 2012, Heater and neon light, various light installations, launch of the Banh-Mi bikes (custom-made bikes which will deliver food to Jardin patrons around the Tan), Moo Brew installations and styled food.

Mini bo la lot burger

We adored the perfectly matched morsels that went hand-in-hand with beer.

Prawn and sweet potato fritter with pickled green chilli

The fritters had a crunchy golden brown exterior and were succulently sweet - the nuggets of deep fried batter brought pleasure to our taste buds. 

Mark Eather lemongrass fish skewer

The skewers were another highlight. Sufficiently seasoned and flavoursome, the skewers had benefited from sufficient time on the grill to achieve the perfect degree of outer charring.

Vietnamese spring rolls, nouc mam Cham

Bo la lot: Beef mince wrapped in betel leaves

The bite-sized appetiser of betel leaf with beef mince was a medley of aromatic and acidic ingredients and was thoroughly enjoyable.

Crispy tofu, fermented chilli, lemongrass salt

Mini pork Banh mi 

The traditional Vietnamese pork banh mi was a delight. The crunchy bread roll was shimmered with pâté and mayonnaise and filled with generous serves of pork, topped with a salad of sweet pickled carrots, cucumber, coriander and fresh chilli. It was both fresh and very tasty.

We adored the Moo Brew beers. The Dark Ale was our favourite of the bunch. An American Brown ale using resinous hop flavour, the beer was rich and dark with caramel and chocolate notes with a lightly roasted finish - beautiful.

The evening concluded with a decadent array of beautifully made desserts...

With the beautiful  Royal Botanic Gardens as a backdrop, Jardin Tan is at once warm and welcoming. The delicious menu draws influence from the Vietnamese/ French fusion cuisine which makes it perfect for sharing with friends for any occasion whilst knocking back on some delicious Moo Brew craft beer. 

Location: Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne

Phone: 03 9691 3888

Link: http://www.jardintan.com.au/ 

Cuisine: Vietnamese, Cocktails, Coffee

Brunswick Street Cider House

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Brunswick Street Cider House.

Brunswick Street Cider House is igniting the senses through its local and international award winning, world class Cider and Craft Beer and delicious food offerings.  These guys are serious about cider and their passion is infectious.

The first venue in Australia that is seriously dedicated to cider, Brunswick Street Cider House boasts 15 independently produced local and international craft ciders on tap and over 40 varieties by the bottle, a farmhouse cider from a French oak barrel and 5 ciders from a traditional hand pump.

The space consists of three distinct areas – the dining area, window lounge and the secret cider garden and cocktail lounge. 

The contemporary design of exposed brick coupled with hard lumber makes for a comfortable space. Oak barrels adorn the area and a window into the kitchen that puts the chefs on show next to the bar display a dedication to good food and brews.  

The menu delivers modern, healthy, Australian cuisine fused with European, Mediterranean and Asian influences.

The result of this amalgamation is a rustic and tantalising out-of-the-box dining experience on Brunswick Street with of course lashings of craft cider (as well as craft beer, boutique wine, premium spirits and amazing cocktails).  

We were blown away by the ciders we tasted. The ones on tap in particular impressed with their great depth of flavour. From light and refreshing with a clean finish to ones with notable tannin structures and toasty oak and caramel notes. Each was worthy of great contemplation - It was certainly an engaging experience.

Spiced tofu Fried in rice flour & tossed in a charred sweet corn & chipotle salsa 

Offering a myriad of bold, but complementary, flavours, the sweet and complex chipotle salsa and the aromatic coriander are first exhibited before retreating to allow the subtle spiced tofu to be enjoyed after which the sweetness of the charred corn takes over. 

Locally made chorizo & granny smith apples Baked in barrel aged cider

The dish of locally made chorizo and granny smith apples was a dish of simple with well balanced flavours.  The apples were bursting with natural flavour, a flavour further enhanced by the restrained savouriness of the delicious chorizo. 

Asian prawn cocktail, A salad of poached prawns, pickled papaya, Asian herbs, carrot, cucumber, dried shrimp, crispy shallots, garlic, crushed peanuts & a roast tomato sambal

The roast tomato sambal had a depth of sweetness to balance out the sharp acidity.  It was both refreshing and appetising.  The cucumber with pickled papaya provided the requisite cooling effect to counteract the spice.  The prawns were very fresh and the herbs provided punchy fragrant flavours.  It was an excellent dish.

Crying tiger Grass fed porterhouse served rare marinated in lemongrass, ginger, garlic, kaffir lime & chilli, char grilled & served with a hot chilli & lime dipping sauce

Served rare, the well-seasoned porterhouse retained a juicy, tender consistency throughout. The pairing of the simply named hot chilli & lime dipping sauce transformed this potentially run-of-the-mill dish into a memorable one.

Cider House apple pie with vanilla ice cream & brandy crème anglaise

Matched with: Custard & Co Calvados Apple Brandy

A delightful dessert, the caramelised apples were perfectly poached with a rich toffee flavour. The apple pieces were crunchy and juicy and ruptured with sweetness. The beautiful pastry and brandy crème anglaise provided balance to the sweetness of the caramelised apples while the vanilla ice cream maximised solitary pleasure as it slowly melted into the crumbs and hot filling. 

The matching Custard & Co Calvados Apple Brandy was beautifully fruit-driven with delicate vanilla spice flavours. An absolute perfect match for the apple pie, this was a lovely, comforting drop with a beautiful freshness.

Bringing true craft cider to Melbourne, Brunswick Street Cider House bridges the gap between wine and beer with flavourful ciders that break the mould of overly sweet cider, bringing the natural flavours of apples to the forefront. There is something here for everyone (even if you don’t drink cider) and the menu which caters for food allergies of all sorts is inspiring and is capable of transporting you to a world where great food and superior brews go hand in hand. 

Location: 386-388 Brunswick Street  Fitzroy
Phone: 03 9415 6142
Link: http://www.theciderhouse.com.au/
Cuisine: Modern, Australian, Fusion, Bar, Gastropub