Restaurant Review: Annie Smither's Bistrot & Produce

Location: 72 Piper St, Kyneton,
Phone: 03 5422 2039
Link: http://www.anniesmithers.com.au/
Cuisine: Classic French bistro with a twist
Overall Impression: 7.5/10

Upon entering the restaurant, the bar area is the first sight that greets you. The mood is upbeat and sexy. Within mere seconds, we were greeted by a welcoming Maitre d' who ushered us into the dining area. It is at once a lot warmer and calmer. The exposed brick interior design is natural and rustic, almost homely.

The wine list is not particularly large but there are a good variety of Australian reds on offer. To the restaurant’s credit, there is a lesser than usual mark-up on the wines. Perhaps this is a feature of country restaurants (we experienced the same thing when dining in Rutherglen).

Annie Smithers Bistrot stands out for its garden to table approach on food. We are told that about 90% of the food served is from their garden nearby.

Entree: Mushrooms $19.50
sauteed locally cultivated mushrooms, poached bantam egg, balsamic vinegar

This dish was beautifully simple. It reminds you of how delicious home-grown food can be. The flavours are far more intense and yet natural at the same time. The egg was perfectly poached, with luscious yolk oozing out from the piercing of its albumen by my knife. The mushrooms were palatable and the balsamic vinegar brought just the right hint of acidity to the dish. Simple and to the point.

Main: Fish $36
pan roasted snapper fillet, potato puree, spinach, blue swimmer crab bisque

The snapper was cooked to perfection. The skin was perfectly crisp and the flesh was tender and juicy. The blue swimmer crab bisque was intensely dense in flavour. It was heavenly.

Main: Duck $36
free range corn fed duck, confit leg, spaetzle, spinach, dijon mustard

Main: Lamb $36
slow roasted central highlands lamb leg, bean ragu, potato puree, rosemary

Some pieces of the lamb were unfortunately sinew-ridden. This was forgiven by the fact that the pieces that were not were mouth-wateringly good. It is pertinent to note however that this dish was particularly small compared to the other mains we had ordered, which was disappointing. 

Main: Gnocchi $36
chervil and tarragon, gnocchi parisienne, asparagus, broad beans, creme fraiche, parmesan

Overall, this was a very good dining experience. The calibres of the chefs were clearly on display in every dish we were privileged to devour. There was commendable attention to detail in terms of execution and every dish was well-balanced and full of flavour.

Cafe Review: St. Ali

Location: 12/18 Yarra Pl, South Melbourne
Phone: 03 9686 2990
Link: stali.com.au
Overall Impression: 9/10

J has become quite the coffee enthusiast of late. We find ourselves walking through the most obscure alley ways for coffee. St Ali is J's favourite place for a caffeine hit and it needs no introduction. One of the most distinguished Melbourne institutions for quality coffee, St Ali is a gem. Single origin, house blend, short, long, even siphoned – you are certainly spoiled for choice.

St Ali’s house blend is ultimately my favourite. Subtle without losing its delicate characteristics, it is well-balanced and certainly pleasurable. J and I enjoy it the most in the form of a short macchiato.

Siphon Coffee has been gaining quite a cult following lately. Fashionable back in the 1950s, its popularity has experienced stark ups and downs over the decades but it looks like the trend in favour of it has hit Melbourne like a storm in recent times.

Although delicate and inoffensive, it certainly has not replaced my love for a simple and good short mac. Don’t get me wrong, I can certainly see its appeal but I need my coffee with a little more “POW!”. That said, as far as Siphon Coffee goes, St Ali’s single origin style is the most pleasant we have tried.

It is definitely worth walking through the most obscure alley ways for coffee of this stature.

Restaurant Review: Enlightened Vegetarian Cuisine

Location: 113 Queens Brg St, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9686 9188
Link: ecuisine.com.au
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Overall Impression: 6/10

Good vegetarian places are hard to come by. I remember eating at a vegetarian restaurant off Nanjing Road in Shanghai that was absolutely amazing during my short visit. The faux fish and meat tasted even better than the real thing. It was strange and awe-inspiring at the same time. It was fit for any carnivore or vegetarian who was in denial. Since then, I have been searching for a similar restaurant in Melbourne. The menu on Enlightened Cuisine’s website looked promising so J, HR and I decided to dine there recently.

Beef Rendang

$18.90

Slow cooked beef in coconut milk and flavoured with our house-blend of Asian spices

The Rendang starkly differed from the ones I have eaten in Malaysia and Indonesia. This Rendang has a lot more coconut milk and has a much more fluid consistency. It was pleasant but I would describe it as a "curry" more than a "Rendang". In terms of taste, this dish was the most delicious course we ordered. 

Asam Fish  
$17.90

"Fish" prepared with brinjal, tomato and pineapple, enhanced with a hint of chilli and complimented by our own special hot and sour tamarind sauce

Ginger Duck
$17.90
"Duck" in ginger sauce

Kung Po Chicken in Nest

$20.90   

Chilli spiced "chicken" with mixed vegetables and cashews served in a potato basket

All in all, this was a very pleasant dining experience. It is notable that all the faux meat and fish tasted exactly the same, which was rather disappointing. As such, the food did not live up to my dining experience in that Shanghai restaurant. That said, the food was very much enjoyable to eat and the service was prompt and friendly. We will certainly return in the not too distant future

Restaurant Review: Meat and Wine Co

Location: Freshwater Pl, 3 Queensbridge St, Southbank
Phone: 03 9696 5333
Link: themeatandwineco.com
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Steakhouse
Overall Impression: 7/10

An hour lunch break simply isn’t enough for dining at a restaurant. This is where express lunches come in. They guarantee you will be in and out in a jiff when you feel like giving yourself a little treat without eating up more than the 45 minutes you have.

As far as express lunches go, the one offered by Meat & Wine Co is a bargain. For $25 you receive a delicious main and a glass of wine. In our experience, the food is consistently good. The following are our two favourite mains from the express lunch menu:

Pork Belly

"Twice cooked pork belly with sticky soy caramel, served with crispy shallot rice, roasted peanuts and Asian salad dressed with kaffir lime and chilli dressing"

This is very well-prepared. The pork belly has a good crackling and the salad is balanced and fresh.

Eye of Rump

"200g Eye of Rump grilled to perfection in our in-house basting and served with super crunchy chips"

The steak is always perfectly cooked - juicy, tender and absolutely scrumptious. Their famous "super crunchy chips" are everything you would expect - Yes, super crunchy.

Restaurant Review: Jacques Reymond

Location: 78 Williams Road, Prahran VIC 3181
Phone: (03) 9525 2178
Link: http://www.jacquesreymond.com.au/
Cuisine: French
Overall Impression: 10/10

Perfect. Jacques Reymond is awe-inspiring on every facet you could possibly imagine. The service, execution, and presentation of the dishes are faultless. Even the order that the courses come in is perfect.
Their 8 course degustation with matching wines is luxuriously sumptuous and designed to please. And please, it certainly does! This option will set you back a hefty $285 a head but is certainly well worth the experience. Each course is perfectly balanced and delicious. There is extraordinary attention to detail. It is apparent that everything has been intelligently designed. It is no coincidence but the work of mastermind, Jacques himself. Of course every good meal must be accompanied by good wine and in this instance; we were pleased to see that the wines perfectly matched the food. This truly added a whole level of enjoyment to the meal. I would liken the degustation to being taken by Jacques on a culinary journey. The following is a list of the courses we were privileged to devour and the matching wines we had, with pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Choux pastry on arrival

We were given several choices of bread to choose from.

Lemongrass, spinach and rock lobster soup, fragrant Tiger prawn, sweet potato and turmeric ice cream

Matched with: 2004 Tyrrell’s HVD Semillon, Single Vineyard, Hunter Valley, NSW

Sandwich of spanner crab, mirin and fresh wasabi jelly, lacquered Petuna ocean trout, black bean and sweetcorn dressing

Wild barramundi, almond and bush mountain pepper caramel, yoghurt and black garlic, kaffir lime and lemongrass espuma

Matched with: 2009 Toolangi Estate ‘Jacques Reymond Selection’ Chardonnay, Yarra Valley, Vic

Peking duck and Hervey bay scallops, peking juices, spiced marshmallow like a crêpe, ginger sesame and pandan oil

Matched with: 2007 Bass Phillip ‘Jacques Reymond Selection’ Pinot Noir, SE Gippsland, Vic

Highland venison like a warm carpaccio, horseradish mustard dressing, butternut pumpkin with honey and bitter chocolate beignet

Matched with: 2006 Dalwhinnie ‘Jacques Reymond Selection’ Shiraz, Pyrenees, Vic

Western plains suckling pig and tamarind, celeriac and bitter almond, dashi apple veil, dancing bonito flakes and rosella chutney salad, cavalo nero

Matched with: 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos du Mont Olivet, Les Fils de Joseph Sabon, Rhône Valley, France

Pacific Rim martini of pineapple, passionfruit and banana, liquorice ice cream and honeycomb
As far as pre-desserts go, this surpasses them all.

Millefeuilles of chocolate: white chocolate mousse, pure Caribbean chilli ice cream, dark chocolate mousse and praline ice cream

Matched with: NV SeppeltsField Grand Tokay (Topaque), Barossa Valley, SA

Coffee and petits fours

And I am still in awe.

The thing about dining at Jacques Reymond is that it takes dining to a whole different level. If you want to be awed and taste delicious flavours you never knew existed, this is where you want to go. Although some of the dishes are somewhat unconventional, the flavours ultimately match each component and what you get is one amazing dish after another. Expect everything to be cooked to perfection. And yes, everything will taste even better than it looks on the plate.

Restaurant Review: The Village Larder

Location: 81 High St, Woodend
Phone: 03 5427 3399
Link: thevillagelarder.com.au
Overall Impression: 5/10

The Village Larder is a cosy cafe in Woodend, just down the road from J and I's favourite pub of all time, Holgate. We had lunch here recently and although there are hits and misses, we found the food overall to be enjoyable. Unfortunately, the service we received was extremely disappointing. We waited for between 45 minutes to an hour for our soups and meals. The restaurant was far from full so it was difficult to see why the wait was necessary.

"Pappa Pomodoro" - Italian Thick Tomato Soup with Goats Cheese, Chive Flowers and Fried Basil $14.50
 The soup was far from the traditionally hearty soup we expected. It tasted watery and lacked flavour, leaving much to be desired.

The Village Larder Pork Burger with Cheddar, Egg, Baby Chard Leaves, House Mayo & Beetroot Relish $19

Roasted Western Plains pork ciabatta with house mayonnaise, fresh apple, rhubarb relish and cress $18

This was delicious. The tender morsels of pork were perfectly seasoned. The fresh apple and rhubard relish added the perfect level of acidity to the luscious mayonnaise and indulgent pieces of pork crackling. The ciabatta was beautifully light. This was certainly the highlight of our meal at The Village Larder.

As a whole, this was not an unpleasant dining experience. However, there was a very long and unjustified wait for the food. When the food finally did arrive, it was clear that the standard of the offerings lacked consistency across the menu.

Restaurant & Bar Review: Holgate Brewhouse

Location: 79 High St, Woodend
Phone: 03 5427 2510
Link: http://www.holgatebrewhouse.com/
Overall Impressions
Beer: 10/10
Bar dining: 5/10
Restaurant dining: 6/10

Sticking to their "Real Beer, No Bull" motto, Holgate Brewhouse continues its legacy of sharing premium boutique beer to its many fans. The one and a half hours drive from Melbourne CBD, is immediately justified with a pint of any of their hand crafted all malt real ales and lagers.

Being there on Cup Day weekend was probably not the best idea - the pub was packed to the brim.

The reason behind its popularity is easy to see. We started the day off quickly with their tasting paddles. It is an amazing way to drink your way through Holgate's full range of delectable beers before deciding what to get more of when you're done!

We decided to dine in the bar area for lunch and the restaurant for dinner...

Bar Meal: Istra sausages & mash

Bar Meal: Wagyu burger

The bar menu consists of old pub favourites. In terms of execution, the food is of a reasonable quality but certainly not above average. Not surprisingly, the quality and standard of the restaurant's menu is superior to that of the bar's.

In the past, the dining experience at the restaurant is one that I would certainly recommend. That said, the restaurant appears to be on a sad decline. It is a far cry from the establishment it was 2 years ago. As it stands, the food meets tolerable expectations but goes no further.  

The following are dishes from their restaurant menu for your viewing pleasure...

Duck Risotto

Fish and Chips

Chicken Risotto

Meat Platter

Bangers and Mash

Meat Pie

Holgate Brewhouse continues to be a temple of beer worship for those in the know. Unfortunately, the food on offer fails to be as impressive. That said, both the food served at the bar and restaurant are far from objectionable. Just expect an average dining experience and you will not be disappointed.

Restaurant Review: Malaya Inn

Location: 25 Village Ave, Doncaster
Phone: 03 9857 4269
Cuisine: Malaysian, Chinese
Overall Impression: 5/10

Malaya Inn is a decent Malaysian/Chinese eatery that meets expectations. There is a good variety of hawker style dishes as well as restaurant style dishes. Sharing is encouraged. The wine menu appears to be more or less non-existent but to the restaurant’s credit, there is a BYO policy which is a welcomed proposition.

Restaurant Review: Malaysian Kitchen

Location: 910-912 Doncaster Road, Doncaster East

Phone: 03 9078 4590
Cuisine: Malaysian
Overall Impressions:
Lunch: 4/10
Dinner: 6/10

For some strange reason, Malaysian Kitchen is consistently subpar for lunch and consistently good for dinner. It appears that they fare a lot better in their restaurant style dishes compared to their hawker style offerings.

The following are a collection of the dishes I would recommend at Malaysian Kitchen. Enjoy!   

Restaurant Review: Maze by Gordon Ramsay (revisited)

Location: Level 1, Crown Metropol Corner of Whiteman and Clarendon Streets
Phone: +61 (0)3 9292 8300
Link: http://www.gordonramsay.com/mazemelbourne/
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 8.5/10

To read our review of our first visit to Maze, click here.

As you can tell from the pictures we took during our second visit to Maze, they have taken mood lighting a bit too far. This time the booking was for 7.30pm and the whole restaurant was already incredibly dark when we arrived. There was barely sufficient lighting to read the menu and wine list. I can see how this would be a problem for older guests.

Speaking of the wine list, if you look through it, you will see a variety of bottom range French wines that have been ridiculously marked up. We both recalled seeing a few of these bottles during our travels around Europe and even when the dollar was not as strong as it is today, those bottles would have costs about 10AUD. On the wine list however, they had been marked up to $66. There was a mere sprinkling of Australian wines on offer and that is nothing less than disappointing. It appears to be an attempt to prey on unsuspecting diners. We have noticed this unwelcomed trend in the fine dining scene lately. It first came to our attention during our second visit to Vue De Monde (the first time, the wine list was excellent). It appears that other restaurants have caught on to this money-making gimmick. Maze is unfortunately not an exception. That said, the wine list also included wines in the $1000 bracket etc, and these are marked up by 300% (which unfortunately, appears to be the norm in Melbourne's fine dining scene).

The dining experience, similar to our last visit, was exceptional. With Maze bidding Josh Emett a fond farewell, we wondered if John Lawson being the new person in charge would change the style of the offerings. In our view, the style and execution has not changed.  

Almost every dish was executed perfectly, balanced and delicious.

The only dish that was slightly disappointing was the Crispy roast pork belly. The pork belly skin was unfortunately chewy and the broth that it came with was a bit too salty. Highlights of the meal included the delicious whiting, the amazing veal and the very good foie gras.

The following is the degustation menu we partook in.

Marinated beetroot with goats curd,
Cabernet Sauvignon vinaigrette, toasted pine nuts

Seared yellow fin tuna
white radish, yuzu, enoki mushrooms, black garlic

Foie gras and chicken liver parfait
Madeira, mulberries, toasted sourdough

Marlborough King Salmon
Jerusalem artichoke, mustard, horseradish cream

King George whiting
smoked paprika brandade, black olive

Crispy roast pork belly
calvalo nero, soybeans, dashi

 Veal

Gisborne duck leg
sweet corn, cracked wheat, fig jam

Cape Grim short rib
potato, shimeji mushrooms, shallot gastric

Exotic fruit vacherin passion fruit and banana sorbet (picture from last visit)

Chocolate ganache salted caramel, hazelnut ice cream

The degustation sets you back $120 per person for 7 courses, which is more than fair for a restaurant of its calibre. The casual take on fine dining means that sharing dishes are encouraged so you could very well share more than 7 different courses between a couple if you each choose different courses from the degustation menu options. That said, this casual take also means that the service provided is such that patrons are not made to feel special. Personally, we loved that we were left alone but we can see how this could be seen as a lack of attentiveness on part of the wait staff.

Cafe Review: Glicks

Location: 352 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Phone: 03 9614 0533
Link: glicks.com.au
Cuisine: Bakery, Kosher
Overall Impression: 6/10

Best bagels in town? Yes oh yes...

There is a large variety of bagel flavours at Glicks - plain, poppy seed, sesame seed, garlic, onion, caraway, blueberry, choc chip, cinnamon and sultana, “everything” and wholemeal.

Definitely worth a visit if you are a bagel enthusiast.

  

Event Review: 2nd anniversary of Heide Museum and Yering Station's partnership

J and I were both privileged by an invitation to a celebration hosted by Yering Station and Heide Museum as this was the second anniversary of their partnership. It was a lovely afternoon of Yarrabank sparkling and Café Vue sweets.

 The event commenced at 2pm on the lovely grounds of Heide Museum. We were delighted to indulge in the newly released 2007 Yarrabank Cuvee. As neither J nor I have ever visited Café Vue, we were curious to taste their offerings. To be honest, this has been quite deliberate. Neither of us are a fan of Vue de Monde, so instinctively we have not found reason to be supportive of Shannon Bennett’s Bistro Vue and Café Vue that undoubtedly trade under the success of Vue De Monde.

2007 Yarrabank Cuvee

Hazelnut Cupcake (front), Pistachip Cupcake (back)

The sweets provided by Café Vue were lovely. Of particular note was the Flourless Pistachio cupcake. It was indulgent and delectable. An intense pistachio flavour permeated the cupcake. I could not resist the temptation to have another one. Needless to say, this experience has definitely given us a favourable view of Café Vue.

Lamingtons (front), Orange and chocolate Cupcake (back)

The popular Café Vue lamingtons were also on offer. They were good and slightly more sophisticated than your run of the mill lamington but were not particularly impressive.

 As is customary, speeches were delivered. It was good to hear a little bit about the history of Yering Station, a winery J and I have become very fond of. J’s cellar is full of red wines bearing the Yering Station label. In fact, one of our very first dates was at Yering Station’s Wine Bar Restaurant over a lovely bottle of Cab Sav.

 We were also given the opportunity to wander through the fabulous exhibitions after the event. An opportunity we gladly accepted. The current exhibitions are Callum Morton: In Memoriam, The Futile City & Nöel Skrzypczak: Talking to Strangers. We also enjoyed walking through the beautiful gardens.

 Thank you, Yering Station, Heide Museum and Café Vue for a wonderful afternoon!

Macaron Mania: La Belle Miette vs LuxBite

La Belle Miette
Location: 30 Hardware Lane, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9024 4528

Link: www.labellemiette.com.au
Overall Impression: 8/10

LuxBite
Location: 38 Toorak Road, South Yarra
Phone: (03) 9867 5888
Link: www.luxbite.com.au
Overall Impression: 5/10

Given the surge in the macaron fan base in Melbourne, the supply of macarons in cafes have been steadily increasing.  La Belle Miette is a café that contributes to the macaron supply chain. Located in trendy Hardware Lane, this small French patisserie specialises in macarons.

LuxBite on the other hand, is a Malaysian influenced dessert bar with exotic macaron flavours. J and I love exotic flavours and trying new things but ultimately, the macarons at LuxBite failed to satisfy. As pretty as they were, the flavours were very much one dimensional. They lacked the depth and complexity in taste that the ones at La Belle Miette have.

Since our little LuxBite vs La Belle Miette competition, we have been back to La Belle Miette several times…

Our latest visit consisted of us buying a box of 18 macarons filled with every flavour they had. As usual, they were all perfectly shaped. Each macaron was the same size. The flavours were beautiful. Each flavour was distinct and special. There was a good crunch that came with the right thickness of the casing that enveloped the two ‘bsicuit’ sides. This ensured it crumbled perfectly with each bite.  

So I guess the winner is clear... We both cannot wait to go back *again*.

Restaurant Review: Gills Diner

Location: 360 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9670 7214
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Overall Impression: 6/10

We had heard the praise lavished on Gills Diner from numerous sources and were excited about the food we would be receiving.

In true Melbourne style, Gills Diner is hidden in an alley way. In the midst of the bustling CBD, it is almost a sanctuary inside. Dimly lit, you forget it is the middle of the afternoon.  The menu is written with chalk on the boards. I found every item on the menu incredibly appealing. J and I both struggled, thinking about what we should get. We finally settled for the roast pork belly and a pie.

 Long Macchiato

 Beef and Burgundy Pie $22

The pie was at best, underwhelming. The side of chips and salad screamed of mediocrity and did little to distinguish this humble pie from any other I have tried.  Tolerable, though unexceptional, it was disappointing especially from a restaurant that has been the recipient of much accolade.

 Roast Pork Belly with lentils, apple and celery $32

The pork belly was cooked well. The crackling was amply salted and crunchy. The pork was tender and well seasoned. The apple brought some needed acidity to the dish that cut through the richness of the luxurious crackling. As a whole however, it was a simple dish that was executed reasonably well. It was good but not particularly impressive.  

From our experience, the hype surrounding Gills Diner is not entirely justified. Its recurring existence on The Age Good Food Guide Chef’s Hats list for instance, is questionable. The food is unobjectionable but certainly not phenomenal.

Restaurant Review: Da Giovanni's

Location: 136 Highfield Rd, Camberwell
Phone: (03) 9836 0714
Link: www.dagiovannis.com.au
Cuisine: Italian
Overall Impression: 5/10

J had to pick up some wine from Canterbury so we decided to have dinner close by. On the way back, we saw this Italian eatery and decided to give it a go. In their vast dining room, there was only one table that was taken. We felt slightly apprehensive about this but thought it might have been a Sunday night thing. Besides, it was too late to walk out… the maitre’d had seen us.

We decided to share a pizza and pasta.

Giovanni's Originale 13" pizza
Tomato, cheese, fresh sausage, basil & olive oil

The pizza was quite good. It had a good crust. It was traditionally thin and crisp without being too dry.

Marinara Gnocchi

Selection of fresh seasonal seafood including mussels, scallops, prawns & calamari

Marinara Gnocchi was an odd choice, I must admit. But when a restaurant gives you both the choice of pasta and the accompanying sauce, it is difficult not to resist the urge to do something a little silly with that power once in a while. It was clear that it was the wrong sauce for gnocchi but it was certainly kosher. The gnocchi itself was incredibly good. Those soft pillows of potato goodness were clearly home-made. I savoured every moreish silky bite. I was pleasantly surprised at this as I have had bad experiences with gnocchi at similar looking establishments. The marinara sauce on the other hand was incredibly disappointing. For some reason, the tomato sauce tasted very artificial. It was clear that the seafood was out of a frozen “marinara mix”.

Overall, it is an average Italian eatery that meets expectations. I would place it slightly above a Sofia’s/La Porchetta restaurant (just to give you an idea). I highly recommend the gnocchi sans the Marinara sauce (which was my own doing).

Restaurant Review: My Cambodia

Location: 28 Buckingham Ave, Springvale

Phone: (03) 9558 5555

Cuisine: Cambodian and Thai

Overall Impression: 7.5/10

J loves Cambodian food. Speaking about his travels to Phnom Penh, he salivates with the thought of the local cuisine he had the opportunity to devour. I, on the other hand, have not had the pleasure of tasting authentic Cambodian food until today, thanks to my lovely colleague, C.

After attending a presentation by a government department all the way in Dandenong, S, C and I thought it fit to reward ourselves with a Cambodian feast before returning back to work in the city. After all, Springvale was very much on the way.

C is familiar with both Springvale and Cambodian food, so we knew we were in good hands. Upon her recommendation, we ventured into a quaint looking restaurant called The Purple Orchid (now known as "My Cambodia"). The fittings were casual – practicality certainly reigned over the aesthetics. That said, it brought about a relaxed ambience that was appropriate for the sort of feasting we were about to luxuriate in.  

Over the meal, S told us tales of his adventures in Cambodia. His stories ranged from $5 per night huts on the beach to waking up with his mates all of whom were unexplainably wearing new t-shirts.

The menu boasts a variety of Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian dishes. But C, S and I decided to stick to the plot – Traditional Cambodian cuisine. We gave C free reign over the menu (which turned out to be an excellent decision). The following are the delectable dishes we had:

 Cambodian Traditional Lemongrass Soup
The soup was incredibly fragrant. It was beautifully rich in flavour. It was a great start to the meal as it certainly induced appetite.

 Cambodian Rare Beef Salad

The beef was incredibly tender. Cooked to perfection; it was pink and juicy. The flavours of the salad were incredibly balanced. The crunch from the peanuts and onions brought a lovely textural element to the dish. The sourness from the lime juice, the sweetness of the palm sugar, the savouriness of the fish sauce/soy sauce and the freshness of the basil and coriander leaves came together in an immaculate flavour explosion. And of course, the perfect hint of chilli brought that extra edge to the dish. I would describe this as a Thai beef salad on steroids. Our taste buds were satiated.

 Prawn Spring rolls

The spring rolls were pleasant to eat. They were crisp and well-seasoned.

Crab Fried Rice
It was an enjoyable introduction to Cambodian food. The portions were notably generous - the three of us certainly glutted our appetites and there was still plenty of food left over. Thank you for sharing this gem of a restaurant, C! I cannot wait to go back!  

Restaurant Review: Lemongrass

Location: 176 Lygon St, Carlton

Phone: (03) 9662 2244

Link: www.lemongrassrestaurant.com.au

Cuisine: Thai

Overall Impression: 5/10

Ying Thai 2 is one of my favourite Thai restaurants. It is incredibly well priced and has the best coconut rice I have tasted in Melbourne. Every dish you order at Ying Thai 2 is always served in generous portions and every dish packs a punch in terms of flavour. The food is rough around the edges but delicious.

We found ourselves on Lygon Street last Saturday but resisted the urge to re-visit Ying Thai 2 when we saw Lemongrass right next to where we had parked our car. Written boldly across the exterior of the restaurant are the words “Royal Thai Cuisine”. In Thailand this basically means food that was once served only to Royals. In Melbourne, I’m not sure exactly what this means. I don’t believe any restaurant can truly live up to such a bold proclamation. Royal Thai cuisine has high standards. Firstly, only the freshest and best ingredients can be used. There will never be any bones in any of the meat or fish. Even if the fish is served as a whole, historically, it would be carefully de-boned with tweezers before being served. The flavours of every dish have to be perfectly balanced. In contrast to Thai street food that is deliciously smacked full of spice leaving you breathless with sweat dripping down your forehead, Royal Thai cuisine is balanced. Nothing is supposed to be too spicy, too sour, too salty or too sweet. There is also great attention to detail, in the preparation and presentation of food. The dishes also have to be served in a certain manner in terms of placement on the table and when and how they are served.
Needless to say, Lemongrass did not abide by these high standards. It is also notable that scattered throughout the menu are various Malaysian and Singaporean dishes whose presence on the menu certainly does not help the legitimacy of Lemongrass’ “Thai Royal Cuisine” claim.
The “Royal Thai Cuisine” label also meant inflated prices that were not justified.
The following are pictures from Lemongrass for your viewing pleasure:

Mieng Kham / Betel Leaf Tidbits

Platter - Traditional do-it-yourself tidbits of fresh garlic, ginger, lime, pomelo, peanuts, toasted coconut, longan, etc, wrapped in betel leaves and accompanied with a savoury-sweet sauce. Centuries-old recipe.

As you can see, the term “platter” was hardly an appropriate description for this dish. Perhaps ‘plate’ would have been less misrepresentative. Sufficient for at most, one person’s entrée, the portion size was very disappointing. It was however, the best dish of the night. The mixture of the numerous elements wrapped up within the betel leaf created a magical flavour combination that transported me straight to Thailand.

Gaeng Keow Wahn/Green Curry

Our version of the famous green curry as made by Mentor Boonchoo and still made by her daughter and granddaughters today. Cooked with Peppers, asian snake bean and Thai eggplant

Stir fry seafood

Gaeng Ped/Red Curry (beef)

Our handmade red curry with peppers, snake bean and Thai eggplant

coconut rice

Lemongrass is let down by its claims to be serving “Royal Thai Cuisine” and its inflated prices for what is available elsewhere at lower cost. That is not to say that our experience of Lemongrass was a negative one. The service was attentive and the ambience pleasant. Each dish was good, just not particularly special. The presentation of the dishes, much like the flavours, is conventional.

At the end of the day, you are paying for the ambience and the service. But when presented with a choice between Lemongrass and the not so royal Ying Thai 2 just down the road, I will choose Ying Thai 2 every time.

Note: Ying Thai 2 in Carlton is distinct from Ying Thai in Richmond. I visited Ying Thai in Richmond and was surprised at the difference in the quality and standard of the offerings. It was a far cry from Ying Thai 2. The food was very disappointing.

Cafe Review: Sensory Lab

Location: David Jones, 297 Little Collins St, Melbourne

Phone: (03) 9643 2222

Link: www.sensorylab.com.au

Overall Impression: 7/10

Presenting Sensory Lab…from the people that brought you St. Ali.

With state of the art equipment and premium coffee beans, the product from their ‘laboratory’ is difficult to fault. The tasting experience offered by the chemistry lab-coated baristas, is one I highly recommend. 

Restaurant Review: Tao's

Location:

201 Bulleen Rd,

Bulleen

Phone:

(03) 9852 0777

Link:

www.taosrestaurant.com.au

Cuisine:

Fusion?

Overall Impression: 6/10

The danger with fusion cuisine is that there is a lot more room for error. In Tao’s case, I am not sure I would even classify the cuisine it serves as ‘fusion’. There are dishes from different cultures all over the menu but there is no fusion in the equation. Take for example, our entrees: the drunken chicken dish is distinctly Shanghainese, the Ka-seki Sashimi is Japanese and the Beef Consommé is without a doubt Taiwanese. The dishes themselves are not a result of ‘fusion’. They simply exist on the same menu.

Tao's Seasonal Assorted Platter

The Oyster was beautifully fresh. However, the balance of flavours in the vinaigrette that accompanied it was not quite right. It was too sweet. The dip that was to be eaten with the bread stick was very pedestrian and the rolled cured meat around a small piece of cucumber was at best, underwhelming.

Raw Beef Nigiri with Sesame Sauce

The sesame sauce went incredibly well with the Beef Nigiri. The beef itself was tender and delectable.

Tao’s Drunken Chicken

The chicken was wonderfully tender and infused with a beautiful rice wine flavour. It brought back memories of eating drunken chicken in Shanghai. It was perfectly seasoned and well balanced.

Kai-seki Style Sashimi

The sashimi was very fresh and enjoyable.

Teapot Style Bonitto Dobimushi

This soup was very disappointing. It tasted like it had been made of frozen marinara mix that had been boiled with water with a bit of instant miso soup mix added to the mixture at the end. 

Beef Consommé

The beef consommé was very good. It was basically a Taiwanese style beef brisket. Although it was a clear soup, it was smacked full of flavour. The beef was tender and flavoursome.

Palate cleanser - Plum shots

Baked Ocean Trout with Sweet Corn Paste

The Trout was unfortunately overcooked. The sweet corn paste did not do the dish any favours.

Hot Stone Sizzling Steak

The black pepper seasoning worked very well. The Steak arrived, sizzling on the plate. As such, it was ‘perfectly cooked’ in the sense that if you were not a fan of medium-rare steak, all you had to do was wait for a while longer. The steak was juicy, tender and had a very good flavour to it. The stir-fried side dish consisting of vegetables were an odd presence on the plate. It was not very good by itself and it did not go well with the steak either. It is worth noting that the exact same side dish was used for all the main dishes that we had. 

Marinated Rack of Lamb

The lamb was cooked perfectly. Tender and delicious, the mint sauce matched the lamb very well.

Rice of the Day

Almond Tart with Custard Sauce

This dish was disconcerting. What was described as an almond tart was 4 unpitted cherries sandwiched between two biscuits with custard drizzled inside it.

Crème brûlée

Coffee Cheese Cake

The coffee cheese cake was particularly good. The caramelised popcorn brought a ‘crunch’ element to the dish and the coffee reduction on the plate brought a depth to the whole dessert.

All in all, it was an enjoyable meal. Most people I know either hate or love Tao’s. Personally, it does not invoke in me any strong emotions on either side of the spectrum. For the very reasonable price we paid ($38 for a 6 course degustation), I thought it was fair. Notably, the food was far more pleasing to the eye than to the taste bud. However, nothing was particularly bad. The ambience was lovely. The service was impeccable. The timing of each dish was difficult to fault. I would recommend this restaurant for a lazy Sunday lunch. 

Restaurant Review: Kouzina

Location: Shop 2225, Knox Ozone, 509 Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South

Phone: (03) 9837 5444

Link: www.kouzina.com.au

Cuisine: Greek
Overall Impression: 5/10

Kouzina is a restaurant chain that serves reasonable Greek fare.

Mixed Grill Platter For Two 54.00

Lamb Gyros, Pork Souvlaki, Souvlaki, Lamb T-bones, Biftekia (burgers), Sheftalies (pork sausages)

Greek Salad 14.50

Traditional village salad w/ tomato, cucumber, capsicum, onion, olives, feta

Overall, I thought the quality of the offerings were quite good. Although most of the meat had been slightly overcooked, everything was well seasoned and enjoyable. The service was unfortunately very slow even though the restaurant was far from packed. I certainly will not be returning in a hurry.