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in Melbourne Like athletes, spectators need to refuel. SM King takes you on a high speed tour around the track to discover some of Melbourne’s culinary elite. SHOYA: TOSHIHIRO TAKAOKA
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in Melbourne
Like athletes, spectatorsneed to refuel. SM Kingtakes you on a high speedtour around the track todiscover some ofMelbourne’s culinary elite.
Out + About
SHOYA:TOSHIHIRO TAKAOKA
With the greatest
number of rest-
aurants per capita in
Australia, Melbourne
is oft regarded as
the food capital of
this country, and for good reason. From the
produce stalls of the must-visit Queen Victoria
Market in the city to the numerous eateries catering
to all tastes and budgets, one word defines
Melbourne’s attitude toward nourishment: serious.
While some establishments are exemplary in their
focus on their point of cultural origin, others veer
into uncharted domains, creating a culinary
tradition that is being re-written every day. The city
embraces its multi-faceted heritage and access to
fine produce, often on a single plate. Usually
referred to as Mod Oz, modern Australian cuisine
bristles with creativity. The lack of rules and
plethora of influences often translate to unique and
unexpected delights.
+ a d 71
Pearl : 631-633 Church Street,Richmond Ph:9421 4599One of the quintessential experiences of modern
Australian cuisine in Melbourne, Pearl fuses our
wealth of ethnicities with tested techniques and
ingredients that are truly local.
Duck neck sausage with a quail and shiitake
dumpling in white pepper broth and one-side only
seared yellowfin tuna with sweet smoked fish salad
set off by galangal and kaffir lime only hint at the
depth and flavors of new head chef David Fryer’s
palette. The dessert menu will also entice with
dishes like Turkish delight and rose petal ice cream
with glace ginger, pomegranate seeds and Persian
fairy floss. Also available are vegan and celiac
menus, which are more than an afterthought, and
offer the same delicate approach by way of items
such as Stirfry eggplant with lychee, shiitake and
baby iceberg lettuce cups.
Bistro Thierry : 511 MalvernRoad, Toorak, Ph:9824 0888 Its almost as if Bistro Thierry has redrawn the maps,
staking out its own territory as a region of France in
the southern hemisphere. The interior design,
atmosphere, and food all transport one to a far
away yet familiar place much further north. A
devoted local and French expatriate clientele are
rewarded with chef Paul Dunlop’s loyal rendering of
classic dishes such as soupe á l’oignon, escargot
with garlic and parsley butter, a well crafted terrine,
poisson du Harché, and minute steak with pomme
frite. Over 100 wines complement the sturdy
menu, with 13 available by the glass. Of note is the
$25.00 prix fixe lunch menu, which offers
exceptional value considering the fine cuisine on
offer.
La Luna : 320 RathdowneStreet, North Carlton, Ph: 9349 4888Straying north of Lygon Street’s neon lit tourist strip
one can find the heart and soul of Italian cuisine in
Melbourne. Specialties include home made
gnocchi and pasta, but chefs Adrian Richardson
and Michael Slade’s dedication to local regional
produce begs attention. Western Plains Pork,
Flinders Island lamb, and Leongatha rabbits are
complemented by select beef aged onsite, char
grilled and served with mash, roasted swiss brown
mushrooms and a red wine jus. Also made on the
premises are three types of sausages, grilled and
served on mash with lyoniasse onion. You are also
permitted to bring your own bottle of wine ($8.50
corkage), although the small wine list is perfectly
matched to the dishes on offer.
Taxi : Level One, TransportHotel, Federation Square, Ph: 9654 8808An open, minimal space dominated by glass and
metal leaves little room for the diner to be distracted
from the modern Australian cuisine offered by
chefs Michael Lambie and Ikuei Arakane; except
perhaps views of the river and the city lights, or the
open kitchen.
It’s highly likely that it’s the food you’ll be
focusing on however, as Taxi crafts distinctly
Japanese ingredients into memorable dishes with
Mediterranean flair. Menu items such as salad of
tonkatsu marinated pork with crystal bay prawns,
calamari and a hot green chilli dressing or crispy
fried quail with confit pork belly, mushroom and
nashi pear salad accompanied by apple puree
leaves little room for the attention to be diverted
elsewhere, except perhaps toward one of the over
500 wines personally recommended to you by the
sommelier.
Red Emperor – Upper Level,Southgate, Southbank, Ph: 9699 4170Sprawling across two levels with magnificent views
of the city, the riverside location is done justice by
some of the finest Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine
in Melbourne. Prepare your palette with the double
boiled herbal soup of the day. Part medicine, part
food, it changes daily and is a specialty of the
house. While some dishes may appear familiar on
the menu, such as BBQ beef fillet with Sichuan
sauce and Kung Po chicken, they are taken to an
unexpected level by chef Hon Kau Hui, who
achieves a subtle and rewarding balance of flavors.
More unusual offerings include crocodile fillet with
ginger and spring onions and kangaroo with Red
Emperor BBQ sauce.
Ciccolina : 130 Acland Street,St. Kilda, Ph: 9525 3333With a strict ‘no bookings’ policy, Ciccolina
nonetheless manages to deliver a magic
experience that is well worth any wait endured
whilst enjoying an aperitif in the cosy back bar. A
favourite with locals for its menu that rarely changes
and standards that never drop, it is both bustling
and intimate, with wait staff as attentive and warm
as those who fire things up in the kitchen. The
Antipasto plate is among the finest in Melbourne,
best enjoyed with a cold Peroni while anticipating a
mighty main. Menu staples include tuna carpaccio,
somewhat incongruous Thai fish cakes, and whole
boneless baby chicken on leek. A revolving
specials menu may include a mushroom risotto, a
fish offering or pasta – all cooked to chef Virginia
Redmond’s fine exemplar.
Shoya – 25 Market Lane, City,Ph:9650 0848Across its six split-levels Shoya offers a range of
experiences and an education in authentic
Japanese cuisine. Those who think it’s all about
raw fish are in for an exquisite lesson in fine dining
from chef/owner Shigeo Nonaka. Notable dishes
include Nama Shii Hotate – minced scallops
wrapped around a quail egg, nestled in a shitake
mushroom and deep fried, and Scampi Kinokoyaki
– scampi topped with Japanese mushrooms and a
delicate miso paste. The Sashimi entrée: tuna,
salmon, kingfish and sea urchin roe topped with
gold leaf and served in a hollow ball of ice is visually
stunning and of exceptional quality. Also
remarkable is the beef, ‘500 days grain fed’ Wagyu
steak, cooked and seasoned to perfection. To
complement the perfect meal, try one of the 35
varieties of sake or shochu that are exclusively
imported for the restaurant.
MoMo – Basement, 115 Collins Street (enter from George Parade) City Ph: 9650 0660 Like a secret cavern from the Arabian Nights,
MoMo envelopes one with the cosy aroma of
subtle spice and a gentle waft of sandalwood
essential oil. Chef Greg Malouf matches Middle
Eastern flavours with a fine palette of ingredients.
+ a d 72
SHOYA:TOSHIHIRO TAKAOKA
SHOYA:TOSHIHIRO TAKAOKA
Regulars on the menu include Middle Eastern fried
duck with honey, orange blossom, thyme and a
vermicelli-nut rice, and Malouf’s pigeon Bistayeea –
Moroccan sweet spiced pie cooked with almonds,
eggs and served with a white cabbage salad. The
MoMo mezze is a stellar way to start a meal –
Fatima’s fingers, labneh with shredded cucumber,
marinated olives with turnips and chicken
dolmades. An impressive wine list boasts more
than 300 choices, 22 of which are available by the
glass.
Fishermen’s Pier: Bay end ofYarra Street, Geelong, Ph: 5222-4100A day or evening in the environs of this delightful
seaside town are best spent enjoying one of the
better seafood restaurants in the state. The
waterfront location demands reverence to all things
piscatorial, and the menu delights with seafood
favourites cooked with skill. Starters include lobster
bisque, oysters prepared four different ways, and
house cured salmon with potato roesti, rocket
salad, dill mayonnaise and preserved lemon. The
mains are equally tempting, whole rock lobsters,
bouillabaisse, and an aromatic African style fish
curry with rice pilaf, cucumber raitta and pappadam
among the offerings. For land lubbers there are
beef, lamb, and vegetarian dishes prepared with
the same consideration afforded the true stars of
the establishment.
Lake House : King Street,Daylesford, Ph: 5348 3329The perfect excuse to escape the city, a 90 minute
drive into the countryside will bring you to the
beautiful township of Daylesford and some of the
finest regional cuisine in Australia. Both a small
luxury hotel and restaurant, Lake House continually
wins much deserved awards and accolades from
around the world. Chef Alla Wolf Tasker matches
considerable talent with a devotion to seasonal
produce procured from suppliers local to the
region, such as lamb and trout from Tuki springs in
Smeaton, a 20 minute drive up the road.
The food is matched with a more than impressive
wine list, with the annual New York Wine Spectator
Awards more than once nominating Lake House
for the ‘Best of Award for Excellence’.
A hush-hush guide:Not so much a list of ‘alsoworth considering’, but ahush-hush guide to whereyou’ll find Melburnians inthe know – the followingrestaurants are thepinnacle of our city’s diningculture. These are placeswhere a divine experienceis guaranteed, and wordsmay very well cease tohave meaning.
Vue de monde
Normanby Chambers, 430 Little Collins Street,
Melbourne. (03) 9691 3888
The multi-award winning and super refined
modern French offerings of Shannon Bennet at
Vue de monde make for the ultimate big night
out.
Botanical
169 Domain Road, South Yarra. (03) 9820
7888
Paul Wilson’s dynamic menu matched with a
wine chosen from their on-site wine shop
makes for a great experience. A worthy
inclusion in Saveur magazine’s top 100 list for
2005.
Circa at The Prince
2 Acland Street, St. Kilda. (03) 9536 1122
With knock –out interior design and venerable
wine list, this Melbourne institution hits the mark
in every category, every time.
Café Di Stasio
31 Fitzroy Street, St. Kilda. (03) 9525 3999
The Age Good Food Guide chef of the year,
Michael Darmanin, offers simple yet elegant
Italian fare true to his heritage.
ezard
187 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, (03) 9639 6811
A leader in the charge toward defining Mod Oz
cuisine, Teage Ezard’s eponymous home never
disappoints.