Oter

Coda and Tonka often feature in my top 10 restaurants of Melbourne - so it's fair to say that I was pretty excited when I heard that the team behind these incredible restaurants were opening up sister restaurant Oter. Offering contemporary French inspired cuisine, Oter is situated on the golden mile of Melbourne's restaurants, nestled just off Flinders Lane. With its simplistic and elegant design, the restaurant itself offers a sleek and sophisticated vibe.

Whilst Oter does offer a 5 course Chef's Menu for $95pp, on this occasion we opted for the al a carte menu and chose the following dishes to share:

Flounder, Spinach, Lemon Puree, Champagne Cream

 

Braised Eggplant, Almond Gazpacho, Espelette Pepper

 

Kangaroo, Cherry Ketchup, Braised Radish and Pink Pepper

 

Rangers Valley Skirt with Onion and Grilled Mushroom

 

Broccoli and Macadamia with Garlic Crumb

 

Poutine with Cheese Curd and Chives

The flounder was nice, but was by no means my favourite dish of the night. The spinach was quite bitter which I though overwhelmed the delicate flesh of the flounder, and the skin on the flounder was quite soggy.



Flounder with Spinach, Lemon Puree and Champagne Cream

The skirt steak was cooked to perfection and was plated beautifully The kangaroo, however, was the dish of the day. On asking for our waiter's recommendation on what to order, he informed us that the kangaroo was hard to go past, with most diners coining it as the best kangaroo they have ever had.  I would have to agree - the meat almost had the same consistency of butter and just melted in the mouth, and went beautifully with the sweetness and acidity of the accompanying cherry ketchup.

Rangers Valley Skirt, Onion and Grilled Mushroom

Kangaroo with Cherry Ketchup, Braised Radish and Pink Pepper

Whilst  I would have liked the eggplant to be cooked just a smidgen longer (it was too tough to cut with the fork or spoon they provided with on the serving plate) the flavours on the plate were absolutely magnificent. The broccoli was another winner and was a delicious plate filled with an array of textures and flavours.

Braised Eggplant with Almond Gazpacho, Espelette and Pepper

Broccoli with Macadamia and Garlic Crumb

The Poutine felt like a peculiar menu item amongst all of the refined and decadent menu options - however it was definitely a delicious choice and added almost a playful element to our overall menu.

Poutine

Whilst it wasn't quite up there with the likes of Tonka or Coda just yet, it was still an absolutely delicious meal and I will definitely be back.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Venue: 4/5
Total: 12/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon