Trocadero - Southbank - Melbourne - review

The moment I heard of this restaurant and peeped at their menu I was chomping at the bit to make a visit and fill my belly.

Trocadero is situated within the Art Center at Hammer Hall. Perfectly positioned on the banks of the Yarra facing the iconic Flinders street station and federation sqaure. With your meal you also get a view. The decor is relaxed but polished with a dark, neutral colour theme. The staff are dressed in t-shirts but the patrons were a mix of casual and dressy. Trocadero sites itself as a bar-slash-brasserie, practically open all day with quick-bites for the pre-theatre crowd.

We arrived on a gloriously sunny Thursday evening and ordered the following:

The evening started with a bag of complimentary bread which Mr.M devoured.

Berkshire pork cacciatore and venison calbrese salami - $15

cooked potatoes, truffle aioli, pecorino $11

I ordered this as my entree. The potatoes were probably a touch overdone for me, and I was hoping for more of a truffle or cheese flavour, they were surprisingly mild. Mr.M on the other hand, ADORED them - but he is a 'potato chip' fiend.

zucchini risotto with black truffle

This was a special, and I regret not ordering the onion risotto instead. The consistency was a touch watery for me, and with the zucchini as the main flavour component it was all rather bland. Even the generous shavings of truffle didn't help punch up the flavour.

beef, chipotle pepper and quinoa sausage, chickpea fries, harissa $28

Mr.M asked our waitress what she thought was their best main dish, and this is what she suggested. At first Mr.M was a little hesitant to order sausages and fries, but after he tried some he changed his mind. The chips were delicious although Mr.M hoped there had been more. The sausages were so incredibly juicy that Mr.M exclaimed they should come with a warning  in case someone pierce it and be squirted in the face. It was a touch spicy but overall Mr.M enjoyed it.

caramel cooked cream, pear, popcorn crumble, chocolate $17

The chatter about this dish was assaulting me from all sides - so needless to say my expectations were quite high. It looked scrumptious and very generous, I tend to find some desserts tiny so was incredibly pleased with the portion serve. However, I barely finished half. As many have said, it is decadently rich. As someone who is sadly dairy-intolerant, the cooked cream part was just too much for me to handle. What I loved most about this dish though was the popcorn crumble in its salty deliciousness and the sticky caramel - caramel popcorn is a favourite of mine, and this dessert was what caramel popcorn would be if it reached enlightenment   Despite the fact that my body wouldn't allow me to eat it all, I would order it again and perhaps eat more topping, less cooked cream. It truly was delicious.

chocolate pudding, milk toffee ice cream $17

Mr.M ordered this was and incredibly happy with it. The chocolate fondant had a glorious ooze and exquisite cocoa richness. Desserts were definitely the stars of our evening.

The staff were friendly and the food was wonderful. We will definitely be returning.

Persimmon - NGV - Melbourne - reivew

We find ourselves fluttering to Persimmon rather often due to the fabulous food, fantastic service and relaxing garden-setting. We thought it long overdue for a visit.

As usual the staff were attentive and friendly. Upon glancing at the menu we saw that the dishes had taken on a more Asian twist and that the regular chocolate fondant was no longer on the dessert menu. We asked the waiter whether Terry was trying some new things to be told that he was no longer working at Persimmon and that there was a new chef, Gabriel Martin at the helm. At the time the website still listed Terry as the chef (tsk,tsk NGV) but the menu suddenly made sense to us. And despite the fact that we would no longer be able to sample our favourite chef's food, we were excited to try the new menu.

Mr.M and Miss Dor elected to try the Market 4 course menu - $45 per person.
As usual, the meal began with the complimentary bread and butter, always a nice selection.

heirloom tomato salad, tomato beurre blanc, tomato dust

Both Mr.M and Miss Dor enjoyed this dish.

salmon vermincelli, prawn, carrot oil

This was Mr.M's favourite dish of the menu.

aged beef porterhouse, bean cassoulet, red wine jus

Miss Dor enjoyed this dish but Mr.M did found it too strong in taste.

chocolate and mint tart,chocolate sorbet

Both Mr.M and Miss Dor enjoyed this tart.

I had the following two dishes: Folded lasagna, purple artichoke,parmesan foam - $24

This was delicious. The pasta was well cooked and the parmesan foam added a delicious saltiness. I ate every morsel.

Chocolate waves, salted caramel, chocolate mousse, chocolate sorbet - $19

A really lovely and generous dessert. The salted caramel had the perfect amount of saltiness to compliment the rich sorbet and sweet mousse.

The chef may have changed, but the food is still lovely enough to warrant repeat returns. The prices, however, are more expensive then they were previously, for instance the desserts have gone from $14 up to $17-19. That being said it is still value for money.

Mamasita - Melbourne - review

Name: Mamasita

Address: Level 1, 11 Collins St
Melbourne
(03) 9650 3821

Food: Mexican, South American

Average price: Entree: $3.80-$8, Mains: $5-$40, Dessert: $5-$10,
Complimentary: Salsa

We ordered: Entree: Elotes callejeros - $4.40ea

"Street Style" chargrilled corn with queso, chipotle mayonnaise & lime

This was by far my favourite dish of the night. As a million others have already said, it's the combination of sweet corn, salty cheese, spicy chipotle and sour lime that make your taste buds dance. I shall definitely be trying to replicate this at home.

Mr.M: This was nice.

Main: de Pollo Quesadillas - $14

Chargrilled chicken with ‘picode gallo’, coriander & queso fresco

Mr.M: This was so boring I had to force myself to eat it, but it was due to high expectations from the buzz about it.

Quesadilla de Huillacoche - $14
Mexican truffle, mushrooms, roasted corn, epazote & queso fresco - $14

This was a bit of a let down as on the menu, it sounded so good. The flavour was predominantly the mushrooms, it seemed to lack the sweetness from the corn or the saltiness from the cheese. It was too earthy with only the mushroom coming through. Without tooting my own horn, I have made nicer quesadillas at home.

Sides: Platanos Machos - $4.50
Fried plantains, salsa & queso fresco

These were the surprise of the night. I loved them with the salsa and cheese, on their own they lacked flavour dimension and were a little too starchy for me (the plantains tasted like a cross between a banana and a potato). Hubby thought they were delicious also.

Mr.M: I quite enjoyed these.

Dessert: Flourless chocolate cake with tequila sauce & PX jelly - $12

This was OK. The cake was a nice standard flourless chocolate cake which had a nice cocoa depth to it. I didn't like the tequila sauce of PX jelly as I am not a fan of alcohol.

Apple fritters with pear & vanilla sorbet - $9

The standout in this dish was the pear and vanilla sorbet which was more like an ice cream with its gorgeous creaminess, I loved it. The fritters were OK, like fritters your mum would make.

Service: Good. The food comes out super fast as most dishes are able to be prepped to 'fast food' quickness. The waitresses were helpful when ordering and cleared the plates quite quickly.

Atmosphere: Jammed in. If you are lucky enough not to be hugging the wall all the way down the stairs and out the door waiting for a table then you will be placed at either one of their few tables or more likely on a stool along a bench. Being heavily pregnant sitting on a high stool was not optional so we were lucky in that we managed to maneuver ourselves into a table originally meant for 3 (they do not like to split their table arrangements). Even at the tables though we were very close to the other diners, and even with the loud noise level we could hear their conversations easily. They also prefer to have you sit at the bar whilst waiting for a table, rather than coming back when it's ready.

Parking: Decent - street parking is limited but there are always the paid carpark lots nearby.

Website: www.mamasita.com.au

Hours: Mon-Wed noon-midnight, Thu noon-12.30am, Fri noon-2am, Sat 6pm-2am (they close for 2hours or so before 5pm).

Would I return: No. The fact that they don't book means that waiting is practically inevitable, and in all honesty the food isn't worth waiting around for.

Persimmon - Melbourne - review

Name: Persimmon at the National Gallery of Victoria

Address: Ground Level, NGV
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
8620 2434

Food: ModOz
Average price: Entrée - $14-16, Main - $23-35, Dessert - $14-16.

Complimentary: One pumpkin seed and one sourdough roll with butter. Warm and lovely.

We ordered: 150th NGV anniversary dinner - 5 courses for $85
 
Amuse
Mushrooms in soil

Possibly my favorite dish of the night; the medley of earthy mushrooms, herbs and spices was wonderful.

Cream of fennel  & Pernod soup, pickled fennel salad

Lovely, creamy soup with subtle hints of licorice.

Baked kingfish, white onion soubise, toasted almond gel, golden raisins & capers,
nastercians

Broccoli risotto, pine nuts, truffle, goats curd, grana padana

Just like my previous visit, the risotto was cooked wonderfully, with a little more goats curd this time around which I appreciated.

Roast Porterhouse of wagyu beef (marble score four), Chausson of roasted beetroot
marinated in aged balsamic & braised ox tail, smoked celeriac & apple cream, apple cider gastrique

Mr.M raved about this dish, from the flavour combinations to the extremely well cooked steak.

Mousse of Tarago triple cream brie, compressed pears, persimmons, toasted rye

Great take on the cheese course.

Bitter chocolate fondant, griottine cherries, malt ice cream, brown butter crumbs

I don't think this dessert will ever not be on the menu, especially when patrons, like Mr.M, continually choose it rather than trying something new. In this version it's subtly paired with the malt ice cream and the sharply rounded cherry. Like always, it was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of gooey ooze.

Tea, coffee, petite fours

The strawberry macaron was like full of childhood wonder with it's lolly-like flavour.
The mango macaron tasted as it should, like a tartly-sweet mango.
The chocolate ganache logs melted instantly on the tongue with their bittersweet liquor.


Drinks: Lemon, lime & bitters

Cost: $174 for two degustations.

Service: Perfect. Food comes out at a great pace, waiters are knowledgeable, they happily cater to vegetarians and our water is always filled.

Atmosphere: Lively but very relaxed. The interior is a mixture of black, red and white with a modern minimal feel. There are textures of plastic, steel and leather with one slate wall surrounded by panoramic windows that allowed us to view landscaped Grollo Equiset gardens. There are leather and fabric booths with red leather chairs, or small black veneer tables with Perspex chairs. The window seats are lovely as the booth seating is very comfy and the view of the gardens is really calming. It can get a little noisy when full but the tables are well spaced so you never feel cramped or listened in on. The dark interior helps to frame the gorgeous outside surroundings.

Parking: Ample. Street parking is generally limited as car spots are generally taken - they are metered except for Sundays - although a tram runs along St Kilda rd, and Flinders station is not far down the road. There are side streets you might get lucky with. There is also underground gallery parking which is $12 for non-members.

Website:http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/visit/places-to-eat/persimmon

Hours: Daily 11am to 4pm (except Tuesdays).

Would I return: Yes - we can always rely on Persimmon to deliver on flavour, presentation and service.

Mr.M: Finally a dinner sitting!

Heirloom - Melbourne - review

Name: Heirloom

Address: Citadines Hotel
Ground floor
131 Bourke St
Melbourne 3000 VIC
(03) 9639 1296

Food: Japanese, French
Average price: Entree: $4-$27, Main: $28, Dessert: $15-$17

Complimentary: 
We ordered: Mother's Day 5course menu  - $55 per person
Salmon Blini
house cured gravalax, buttermilk blini, whipped fraiche, salmon caviar

Dill chevre on crisp toast

This was nothing special, just crackers and cheese.

Warm Truffled Potato and Leek Vichyssoise
slow cooked egg, persillade

This was a lovely soup with lots of flavour and a smooth texture. The egg was lovely for me, though some others would have preferred a runnier yolk. Overall everyone enjoyed it.

Wild mushrooms, quinoa, sage and pearl barley

This was lovely, earthy, salty with great textural differences. I liked the addition of sage.

Terrine de Campagne
umeshu jelly, prune puree, petit herb salade

D liked this.

Rare Seared Yellow Fin Tuna Loin
piperade, black olive crumble, crisp basil

Both Mr.M & S didn't enjoy the flavour combination.

Gnocchi with diced vegetables

The gnocchi was extremely soft, doughy and unpleasant to eat. The veggies were nice enough but just diced veggies, overall I found the dish boring and didn't eat much of it.

Roast Beef Tenderloin
Bourguignon garnish, pomme puree, red wine jus

White Choc and Tofu Blancmange
dark chocolate sorbet, chocolate brownie glace, poky biscuits

Simple and unoffensive dish. The blancmange was akin to a panacotta except it was a touch softer with only hint of sweetness. The chocolate sorbet and sweet glace were lovely and the malt chocolate crumbs added nice texture as well as a slightly salty element to dish which I enjoyed.

Tea & biscotti

Cost: $220 for four Mother's Day menus.

Service: Young but eager. Our waitress kept our water topped up whilst another described our dishes as they came. They were also accommodating to one late diner who they quickly caught up to us.

Atmosphere: Industrial chic meets Japanese zen. I really liked the juxtaposition of concrete and metal against the wood and bamboo plants. The splashes of red and hanging fairyesque lights complimented the style well.

Parking: Limited street parking but plenty of paid underground car parking right next door.

Website: www.heirloomonbourke.com.au

Hours: Mon-Fri 6.30am-late
Sat-Sun 7am-late

Would I return: Yes - good food for a cheap rpice in a nice setting.

Grossi Florentino - Melbourne - review

Name: Grossi Florentino

Address: 80 Bourke St
Melbourne 3000 VIC

(03) 9662 1811

Food: Italian

Average price:  Entree: $39-$50, Mains: $50-$55, Dessert: $26-$35
Degustation menu: 8 courses, $195
Set menu: 5 courses, $140
Degustation with matching wine flight $265; Five-course menu with matching wine flight $190

Complimentary:  Bread basket with olives, butter and olive oil.

Quality ingredients.


Amuse bouche - potato soup

Nice, simple soup.



Cream and berries

Petit fours of a macaron, nougat and chocolate brownie.

We ordered: (somehow this post fell through the cracks and is actually from November 2010.)
Zuchhini flowers
olive and goats cheese, mint, pumpkin caponata, white aspargus shavings, pumpkin jus

This was lovely and well executed.

Spaghetti with alba white truffle and potato - $110 supplement

The pasta was the perfect al dente texture whilst the truffle gave light earthy fragrant flavour with butter potatoes. It was lovely, but not worth the expensive additional price tag.

Risotto venere - venere rice,morton bay bug, parmesan sabayon
Egg yolk ravioli - pumpkin, egg yolk, vincotto, parmesan - (veg version)

The pasta  was well cooked, the pumpkin was quite sweet as was the vincotto, and the egg yolk quite heavy.
Mr.M thought his dish was only 

Baby onion tart carpaccio crumbs, beetroot, wilted spinach

The presentation was lacking. The onion tart extremely wet with a soggy crumb, the wilted spinach avereage, and the beetroot puree too tangy - overall too much sweetness with unwelcome tang.

Glenloth pidgeon roasted breast, leg ravioli, black cabbage, marsala, cardamom and liquorice powder, beetroot, couscous

Mr.M said jus was overwhelming and he couldn't taste the other nuances.

Slow cooked waygu rump cap
pickled veal tongue, shallots and potato saltate, fennel and rosemary praline, salsa verde

Mr.M said this was quite nice.


Valrhona chocolate soufflé malt ice cream and chocolate sauce

I thought this was lacking a chocolate depth, it was more akin to a malt and chocolate milkshake. The soufflé was gorgeously fluffy though.

Buffalo ricotta slice pumpkin, 30year old balsamic, amaretto crisp, amarena cherries, roast quince

The ricotta was dry and tasted like aged cheese, it very smelly too. It was bitter, salty and tasted like a foot, as if it was off - the alcohol from the cherries and sweetness from the quince did not help - we did not like this dish one bit.

Cost: Around $500.

Service: Good. The food came out at a good pace and the waiters were knowledgeable, but perhaps a tad absent. As it was my birthday, when they brought out the dessert they sang  'Happy Birthday Miss Lady' which was lovely and also made me giggle a bit at their choice of words.

Atmosphere: Luxurious Italian villa. Large murals adorned the claret red wallpapered walls as chandeliers hung from the ceiling, it's all quite opulent and perhaps a bit too formal. The dining space is quite small and therefore the tables were closely spaced.

Parking: Limited street but plenty of paid underground.

Website: www.grossiflorentino.com.au

Hours: Mon-Fri noon-3pm, Mon-Sat 6pm-11pm

Would I return: No, although the food was nice it wasn't anything truly memorable.