Embrasse - Carlton

Name: Embrasse

Address: 312 Drummond St
Carlton 3053 VIC
Phone: (03) 9347 3312

Food: Modern French/Mod Oz
Average prices: Entrees - $17, Mains - $32, Desserts - $18
Complimentary: Two bread rolls with butter, salt and pepper.

Tasting spoons: One with smoked trout, the other was kohlrabi, pumpkin (?). Can't remember the exact ingredients. They were ok, but nothing really memorable.


We ordered:

Entrees: Smoked ocean trout, grated cauliflower, young beetroots, peas Pimprenelle, yarrow - $17


This was rather interesting with the variety of textures and somewhat salty/sea-like flavours.

Milk poached calf liver, golden shallot, potato and fromage blanc, grenache syrup French sorrel, blooded sorrel - $17


Ryan enjoyed this dish but felt it needed more of the secondary flavours to balance the powerful taste of the liver.

Mains: Home grown meli melo of vegetables, sprouts, flowers and herbs, herbs emulsions - $29


I was really disappointed in this dish in that it was quite bland and boring. The vegetables all had that steamed partially firm texture and all seemed to meld into each other. It was quite watery and boring to eat.

Slow cooked beef cheek, pumpkin, chard - $35


Ryan did not enjoy the beef and found the texture unappetising.

Sides: Aligot – a Provincial cheesy mash potato from the South of France - $ 11

This came in a copper pot which the waitress twirled out to place on our plates. It was rubbery like a mozzarella but more so, but also with more flavour. More cheese than potato. but quite nice.

Desserts: Fresh berries from the garden - $16 dollars


Very simple but tasty berries served with cream. Probably not worth $16 though.

Apricots stuffed with our cheesecake; almond gateau and tuille - $18 dollars

I didn't enjoy this. The apricots were pretty much raw and a little tough to slice through with a spoon. The almond cake crumbs were really sweet just seemed to smother the other textures and flavours, I didn't like eating them. The cheese cake tuille was nice and provided much needed smoothness and a liquid component along with the foam(?). I felt the tuilles served no purpose.

Cost: $151 - 2 entrees, 2 mains, 1 side, 2 desserts, 2 bottle of water. Once again when we asked for water we were given the option of still or sparkling. We were hoping to receive tap water but instead were given a 500ml $12 bottle of water. If still means expensive bottled water then we should also be given the 3rd option of tap water.

Service: Excellent. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The chef came out at one stage to ask each patron if their meals were satisfactory.


Atmosphere: Dull. The restaurant only seats around 30 people, when we arrived at 8:15pm there were 13 other diners. There was very little noise, and very little atmosphere. We could see both the street and the kitchen from our table.


Parking: Limited. There is street parking which was full during our 20mins drive around. The nearest paid parking was full until eventually they allowed people to park in reserved parks. It was $8.50 and about 1-2blocks walk. Arrive early as you may be looking for a car park for a while, probably due to its proximity to Lygon street.

Website: http://www.embrasserestaurant.com.au/index.html

Hours: Wed-Sun 6.30pm-9.30pm
Fri noon-9.30pm
Sat-Sun 9.30am-2.30pm

Would I return: No. Food was OK but not spectacular, the ambiance was also lacking. The parking situation was also frustrating.

Mamma's Boys - Kew East

Name: Mamma's Boys

Address: 647 High St
Kew East 3102 VIC
Phone: (03) 9859 0583

Food: Italian.
Average prices: Starters - $12, Entrees - $16, Mains - $25, Desserts - $12
Complimentary: Nothing.


We ordered:

Starters: Bruschetta 'Due- Due' pomodoro and ai funghi - $12


The serving size for a starter was extremely generous, so large in fact we only ate half so as to save room for the rest of the meals. The bruschetta was lovely, th bread was fresh and perfectly chargrilled. I loved the mushroom with lovely hints of garlic and pesto. The tomato was as you would expect a tomato bruschetta to be.

Crochetti di rosa - $12


Assorted crochetti of eggplant, rice and potato accompanied with a Romana sauce. I absolutely loved these. The potato was soft, smooth and perfectly cheesy with the right amount of outer crunch. The eggplant was also perfect and tasty. I didn't like the rice as much probably because I preferred the smooth texture of the other two. They were served with a creamy semi dried tomato (?) sauce which added a great flavour and complimented them well.

Mains: Marco pollo - $26


Pan fried chicken medallions, sauteed in a cream sauce with mushrooms, semi dried tomatoes, pine nuts and spinach, served on seasonal vegetables. Ryan loved this dish - he said it had the perfect amount of flavours and textures to make it interesting and enjoyable.

Spinach & ricotta cannelloni (entree serve) - $16


I downsized my order on the suggestion of the chef, which I think was a smart idea as this is also a huge serving. I was a little disappointed I must say as it was very watery which washed out the flavour - it also tasted like it was frozen and reheated. It was alright, but nothing special.

Desserts: Panetonne Trifle - $12


Panetonne soaked in sugar Whiskey, layered with marinated figs and pastry cream. The range of desserts was a little boring and this seemed the most interesting. But I was also disappointed with this dish. First of all it didn't taste freshly made (my partner asked and it had been made the night before). The pastry cream had a rubbery skin and the texture of a thick mascarpone. The bread tasted stale and it just didn't meld well in your mouth as it was quite dry. We hardly ate it. The waitress asked us for feedback as their menu was newly redesigned.

Cost: $ 78 - 2 starters, 2 mains, 1 dessert.

Service: Fantastic. The waiters were super friendly and accommodating. We wanted our courses to come out consecutively but after watching us eat our starter they suggested we perhaps wait a little longer so we weren't as full, which was wise. Really great service.

Atmosphere: Good. We went at 6:30pm on a Friday so there were only two other tables full. The downstairs area is quite small but there is enough space between tables that you don't feel the need to whisper.


Parking: Ample - there is street parking, but it may get difficult to find a close-by parking later in the evening.
Website: www.mammasboys.com.au 

Hours: Mon-Sat 5pm-11pm

Would I return: Yes.

Kouzina - Doncaster

Name: Kouzina modern Greek & mezze bar

Address: Westfield Doncaster
Shop 2001
619 Doncaster Rd (Cnr Williamsons Rd)
Doncaster 3108 VIC
Phone: (03) 9840 6055

Food: Modern Greek
Average prices: entrees - $11, mains - $25, desserts - $12.
Complimentary - nothing.

We ordered:

Entrees: Pork kebabs - $12.50.


Ryan said they were juicy and tender but definitely needed the tzatziki for flavour.

Flaming saganaki - $13.50.


I'll give points for theatrical display by lighting Metaxa poured over the saganaki. However, the Metaxa completely overwhelmed the cheese which needed nothing but a squeeze of lemon.

Mains: Vegetarian moussaka -$22.50.


This was Layers of eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, feta, lentils, tomatoes, kefalotyri Béchamel baked in a clay pot served with a Greek salad. I felt this was overcooked as the topping was quite papery whilst the lentils on the bottom were dry. I also don't feel the lentils added anything whilst I could not taste the feta at all. It was basically slices of zucchini with tons of bechamel. The Greek salad on the side was average, no dressing so was a little dry.

Veal yiouvetsi - $21.50.


Tender veal ragout with roma tomatoes, root vegetables, orzo pasta, three Greek cheeses slow baked in a clay pot. Ryan said this was full of flavour and the meat was falling apart it was so tender.

Desserts: Dessert sampler for two - $26.50.


'Chios' mastic chocolate mousse; tasted a little like cheap chocolate in that it didn't have that deep chocolate flavour and tasted like 'cream' whilst not being super creamy in texture. Couldn't really taste the mastiki. The berries (previously frozen I think) were also a little bitter.

Baklava; moist and syrupy but there was way too much cinnamon and it became bitter.

Fig brulee; this hardly had a sugar crust and it was runny and grainy with some pureed fig in the center.

Pistachio and rosewater ice cream; this tasted more like a vanilla and honey icecream nice consistency and Ryan's favourite.

Honey and sheep's milk yoghurt panna cotta; this was really lemony and was served with pomegranate seeds which were unpleasant to eat and did not compliment the dish.

Cost: $96.50 for 2 entrees, 2 mains and 1 dessert platter.

Service: Great. Our plates were cleared almost immediately and they were pretty good with topping up the water. We told them we wanted to eat and go - our entrees arrived 10mins after ordering, the mains took 20mins after our entrees were cleared and the dessert came 15mins after the mains.

Atmosphere: Good. Very lively. It's in the newly refurbished Westfield Doncaster which is almost like Crown in decor - really lovely and stylish.


We went on a Saturday night and the restaurant was practically full,. There are seats at the back in front of wall length windows with a gorgeous view of the city skyline, we arrived just before sunset and watched the beautiful view.


Those seats were full as were most of the seats outside the front of the restaurant in the shopping centre so we sat adjacent to the bar on a communal table on stools.


Parking: Ample - the shopping centre has hundreds of car spaces. Parking is free for the first 3hours or 4hours if seeing a movie.

Website: http://www.kouzina.com.au/index.html

Hours: Daily 11am-11pm.

Would I return: No - it's decent but not great

Radii - Melbourne

Name: Radii @ Park Hyatt hotel

Address: 1 Parliament Sq (Off Parliament Pl)
East Melbourne 3002 VIC
Phone: (03) 9224 1211

Food: European
Average price: entrees - $25, mains - $35, desserts - $18.
Complimentary: 1 bread roll per person with half a circle of butter.
As there were 9 of us I will group together those who enjoyed their meals, and those who did not.

We ordered:

Entrees: Tasmanian oysters - natural of with red wine and shallot vinegar (1/2 dozen) - $25.


Smoked salmon, lemon mascarpone and zucchini terrine - $22


This was actually really lovely. The smoked salmon blended well with the lemon mascarpone and zucchini, however my salad included coriander leaves (I cannot eat them) and there was also a small insect on one of the leaves.

Crab salad with avocado soup and salmon roe - $18


This was enjoyed, however they did not receive a spoon with which to eat the soup - my father-in-law ended up drinking it from the bowl.

Harvey bay scallops - $19


These were enjoyed, they were also topped with coriander but it was easily removed.

Duck rillets, cornichons - $18


Ryan had these, he didn't like it.

Mains: goat's cheese, spinach tortellini in a garlic cream sauce - $24


This was extra tough and chewy. The filling and sauce were nice but the texture ruined it. Half my plate was full (and I was absolutely starving).

Asparagus and chive risotto - $24


This was good.

Crispy salmon with cherry tomatoes and sauteed spinach - $35


This was also good.

Veal cutlet in a mushroom sauce served with chips - $47


Ryan hated this as the veal was cold. The chips however were lovely.

Rack of lamb on minted peas - $36


this was good.

Tasmanian lamb with mustard sauce- $32


This was an incorrect order, meant to be the minted peas lamb.

Gippsland tenderloin with roasted potatoes - $45.


This was good.

Desserts: Vanilla creme brulee -$16.


Ok, but a little too eggy. The creme brulee had a custardy consistency and wasn't that smooth.

Trio of chocolate - chocolate tart, white chocolate mouse, chocolate fondant - $16.


The tart tasted like a block of chocolate. The mousse was really sugary but good consistency. The fondant was more like a moist cake, no gooey unctuous oozy chocolate flowing from the center.
Summer berry pudding - $16.
Accidentally deleted pic - this was decent.

Pistachio cake with poached rhubarb - $16.


Mum really enjoyed this.

Cost: $591 for 9 entrees, 9 mains, 5 sides, 6 desserts. We also ordered $62 of drinks. TOTAL: $653.

Service: Terrible. We had a waitress who said it was her first day, for a table of 9 it was too much for her. Taking our orders took her 20mins (no joke) and she went around the table twice to confirm. In the end the dishes were mixed up, some of us (including myself) were served other people's dishes or were given the wrong dishes entirely. Water was left to run out, some did not have glasses and the wait for our meals was excessive, with our entrees taking a staggering 1hour despite the restaurant being empty. To receive all meals it took 3hours - we left immediately after dessert.

Atmosphere: Good. The restaurant was practically empty when we went so there was zero noise. The decor is lovely, modern art deco in a way set over multi levels.


Parking: Ok. There is some 2hour meter street parking, or you can valet at the hotel - be sure to get your ticket stamped by the restaurant of you will pay $20.

Website: www.radiirestaurant.com.au

Hours: Mon-Fri 6.30am-10.30am, weekends 7am-11am
daily noon-3pm, 6pm-11pm

Would I return: No. A below par experience the second time around means no returns.

Estivo - Kew

Name: Estivo

Address:
330 High St
Kew 3101 VIC
Phone: (03) 9853 1727

Food: ModOz
Average price: appetiser - $9, entree - $18, main - $30, dessert - $13.
Complimentary: 2 slices of bread each with oil and balsamic and sea salt. The balsamic was really lovely and sweet.


We ordered:

Entrees: Citrus ceviche of Tuna, shaved fennel, dill & pomegranate - $10


This was actually an appetiser but was decently portioned. The citrus was a little too strong and overpowered the palate making the tuna and dill taste a little bitter. The pomegranate added lovely bursts of tart sweetness, I wish there had been a few more gems scattered. The fennel unfortunately didn't come through at all.

Crispy skin pork belly, quince jelly with apple, endive & raisin salad, sherry vinegar - $18


Ryan could not keep his praises in with this dish - there were oohs and ahhs galore. This was his favourite dish.

Mains: Porcini risotto - $24


There were no vegetarian options on the menu, this dish was a side with a main so they increased the portions for me. I'm not sure why they covered it with endive as it was extremely bitter and did not work with the mushrooms. The rice and texture was perfect however I did feel it was slightly bland.

Yearling with porcini risotto, parmesan wafer, truffle jus - $36


Ryan liked this also, he found the meat really tender.

Desserts: Chocolate creme brulee, fresh fig tart, Valrhona sorbet, vincotto syrup - $13


You know it's good when Ryan, who is not a dessert person, is eating it up. The creme brulee was perfect, crisp sweet topping with a luscious creamy chocolate custard underneath. The Valrhona was also divine, rich, deep and velvety. The fig tart was lovely, although I am not a big fig eater, Ryan on the other hand was licking his fingers after shoving it into his mouth. An absolutely lovely dessert, best I have had in a while. Divine!

Cost: $112. 1 appetiser, 1 entree, 2 mains, 1 dessert and 1 beer.

Service: Ok. There was a long wait in between meals. In 1hour we only received our entrees and once we ordered dessert there was a 30min wait for that also. The staff were perfectly polite and accommodating when I asked for a vegetarian option as there were none on the menu.

Atmosphere: Good. The interior was a cool brown with neutral tones and artwork on the walls. There was a staircase but I am not sure if this lead up to more tables as there were only around 30 seats downstairs. There wasn't much noise at all considering the tables were almost full. The lighting was low but not too low.


Parking: Moderate. There is street parking along High St - there wasn't much at 7pm on a Friday night.

Website: None.

Hours: Tue-Fri noon-3.30pm, Tue-Sat 6pm-10.30pm

Would I return: Yes. The food was lovely and it is just down the road for me. I shall definitely be returning.