Attica

With three Hats, the title of Best Restaurant in Australia, and ranked number 32 restaurant in the world -  Ben Shewry's Attica was definitely on the bucket list. And it doesn't take long after being whisked to your white table-clothed table by Attica's incredibly friendly staff to see why this Australian icon has won such a multitude of awards.  The term "magical" is definitely a start in explaining our incredible evening in this Ripponlea venue, with terms such as "exemplary" and "flawless" also appropriate.

Attica's Australian-inspired set-menu delights (and surprises), offering the likes of native ants, whipped emu egg and possum meat from Tasmania. For our starters, we were served (as named in the menu) Tac Oz, Aged Santa Clause Melon, Pearl cooked in Paperbark, Smashed Avocado on Toast, An Imperfect History of Ripponlea, Pav, Scampi and Wattlesoy, Chewy Carrots and Mutton Shell (black lipped abalone).

Tac Oz

Aged Santa Clause Melon

Pearl Cooked in Paper Bark

Smashed Avocado on Toast

Scampi and Wattlesoy

An Imperfect History of Ripponlea

Pav

Chewy Carrots

Mutton Shell

Whilst everything was delicious (and everyone had their different favorites), the Tac Oz (taco filled with native leaves) the Smashed Avocado on Toast (definitely not going to be able to afford a house eating this bad boy) and the black sausage tart in the Imperfect History of Ripponlea were the highlights of the starters for me.  The biggest surprise, however, was the Pav stuffed with cream cheese, and topped with a banana and ants.  Yes, I said ants.  However, once getting over the texture, the ants were surprisingly delicious.  The carrots were also a surprise - what appeared to be a rather uninspired "just a plate of carrots" actually consisted of an incredibly juicy and flavour filled dish that made it onto one of my fellow diner's top 3 dishes of the night.

The starters were followed by Hand Picked Crab and Sour Damper, Kangaroo Wattles and Waxflower, All Parts of the Pumpkin and Grilled Marron with Desert Lime.  I always thought that I wasn't a fan of crab - turns out I just haven't had incredibly good crab before as the Hand Picked Crab, which you could stuff into the fresh hot sour damper (after a smothering of butter of course), was ridiculously delicious.

Hand Picked Crab and Sour Damper

Kangaroo Wattles and Waxflower

All Parts of the Pumpkin

Grilled Marron with Desert Lime

About half way through our meal we noticed that the diners surrounding us started to mysteriously disappear, only to pop back up at their tables in about half an hour's time.  To be honest, when we saw the first table go, we thought they may have nicked off without paying their bill.  But to our absolute delight, we soon came to realise that the disappearing tables were not being led to the slaughter, but instead were taken to Attica's backyard garden, where we were met with a cold beer (or 3) and a classic Aussie BBQ cooking up a dish coined "Pests of the Neighborhood" (aka, possum sausages - served up in white bread of course - Bunnings eat your heart out).

To finish the evening we were served a Camel Milk Ice (served with more ants - just when you thought the servings of insects were over for the evening) and a Whipped Emu Egg with Quandong (which tasted as magnificent as it looked).

From it's incredible staff that made us feel welcome from the minute we walked through the doors (including an outstanding Sommelier), to its exquisitely mouth watering food and wine, it's no surprise that Attica is the New Fave.

Food: 5/5
Service 5/5
Venue: 4/5
Total: 14/15
Verdict: The New Fave - put it as Number 1 on the To Do List.

Long Chim

Long Chim is the new kid on the block - surrounded by the type of hype and publicity that's expected when one starts paying the exuberant rent of waterfront Southbank, it is fair to say that there was a buzz of excitement on walking in.  Unfortunately, if I had to sum up Long Chim in a word it would be "disappointing". The venue itself is pretty incredible - offering upstairs, downstairs or patio seating - it's the perfect spot to watch Southbank wander by or the fire show Crown puts on every hour. But the up-sides pretty much end there.

 Firstly, the service isn't great. Being the first one to arrive for our booking, I was told to walk up the stairs to find our table - on there being no free tables (and no one to assist), I walked backed down the stairs to see what was going on. I was then told to walk back up the stairs as my table was supposably on the left - so I walked back up the stairs - no free table, so went back down the stairs. This time, I made someone walk up the stairs with me to show me where my table was and surprise, surprise, there wasn't a free table for me. 5 minutes later I was seated on the patio - at least I had worked up an appetite.

The next person of our booking arrives - but we are still waiting on one more. Nonetheless, a waitress comes over to start walking us through the menu and tells us what the specials are. On telling her that we were still waiting for one more (who was only 5 minutes late), that still didn't stop her - she was obviously expecting us to pass on this information to our third diner of that night.

Secondly, don't go to Long Chim if you're on a budget.  I'm talking $30 for stir fried Chinese broccoli.  And yes, whilst I don't usually shy away from spending my pay check on food, you at least want it to be delicious. Unfortunately that wasn't the case here.

The chive cakes ($18) were doughy and flavourless.  The only redeeming feature of the plate was the sauce - but there was definitely not enough of it to save these tasteless morsels.

The mashed prawns in the Mashed Prawn Curry ($38) was obviously just an excuse to get away with serving up just one prawn cut into tiny little pieces in a near $40 bowl of curry.

The prawns in the Pad Thai ($34) were overcooked - which was a shame as the noodles were otherwise delicious.

The flavours in the grilled lamb ribs ($38) were exceptional and paired beautifully with the pickles on the plate.  The meat, however, was tough and was definitely didn't want to come off the bone.

Long Chim - you better pick up your game because at this rate I will not be back.

Food: 2/5
Service: 1.5/5
Venue: 4/5
Total: 7.5/15
Verdict: Don't bother - it's not worth the price tag.

Donovans

Donovan's in St Kilda goes hand in hand with a champagne filled sunny Sunday afternoon. It's draw card is by far its location - situated right on St Kilda beach it not only offers incredible views while dining, it also offers a beach front deck scattered with lounges for diners to lap up the St Kilda vibe with a drink either post or pre dining.

Offering up Modern Australian cuisine, the menu isn't exactly on the cheap side - serving up beer battered Fish and Chips for $45.00. But the price tag soon becomes worth it as your settled in by incredibly attentive and friendly staff, and treated like your dining at nothing less than a fine dining restaurant.

On this occasion I couldn't go past the linguine with chilli, garlic, seafood and Moreton Bay bug. The dish however, was a bit flat on the flavours and could definitely have done with some more herbs, chilli and garlic - and a couple of my mussels unfortunately tasted a touch less than fresh.

My friend ordered the crispy skin Cone Bay barramundi which looked absolutely sensational - with its sautéed spinach, cherry tomato and caper 'acqua pazza', it looked just like Christmas on a plate.

But a word of warning, don't order the chips in expectation of being served French fries - whilst still tasty, the 'House chips with whole garlic and rosemary sea salt" are actually little baked potatoes and are somewhat a disappointment if looking forward to the 'French' version of the fry.

With its incredible location and its relaxing Summer's vibe, Donavon's is definitely still a contender though if you're looking for a long Sunday lunch in the warmer months.

Food: 3/5
Décor: 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Total: 12.5/15
Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point.

Brae

Brae in a word? Underwhelming. It didn't help that it had just been awarded Regional Restaurant of the Year by The Good Food Guide - I was obviously going in with too high of expectations.  It's not that the dishes weren't technically perfect - because they were - some of them just didn't have much of a wow factor (the hapuku and roasted beetroot dishes were borderline bland) and I was hoping that I wouldn't leave the venue feeling like I could go order myself a pizza.

Situated in the quaint but very charming town of Birregurra,  from the man who once bought you The Royal Mail in Dunkeld, Dan Hunter's venue is modern but homely - you definitely feel like you're miles away from the city as soon as you step through their doors. Priding itself on using fresh and local produce - the menu changes to suit what's in the garden (and indeed, it's quite the vegie patch they have!) The menu on this occasion consisted of:

Brook trout and nut butter crisp

Crimson pearl potato and smoked eel sandwhich

Prawn, nasturtium, finger lime

Iced Oyster with beef tendon and mountain pepper

Beetroot with bone marrow and juniper

Calamari and black lip abalone, broccoli and blue mackerel

Eggplant and salt grass lamb washed with sweet onion juice, fragrant and acidic plants

Hapuku, turnip and mustard greens, fish roe whipped with onion

Crayfish and shitake with Brae farm egg yolk, meat broth and seaweed

Aged pekin duck wood roasted on the bone, pumpkin cream and walnut

Quince simmered with vanilla, sheep's milk and Brae farm honey

Parsnip and apple

The dishes of the day for me were actually the starters.  The brook trout and nut butter crisp, the crimson pearl potato and smoked eel sandwich and the prawn, nasturtium (there was a lot of nasturtium going on) and finger lime parcel were all bursting with flavour. The iced oyster was also a highlight - pushing the boundaries Heston style, the texture was akin to "oyster ice-cream", but it surprisingly actually worked.  

Brook Trout and Nut Butter Crisp, Prawn, Nasturtium and Finger Lime

Crimson pearl potato and smoked eel sandwich

Iced Oyster, Beef Tendon and Mountain Pepper

The Crayfish and shitake with Brae farm egg yolk was my fellow diners' favourite dish, where as I quite liked the calamari and black lip abalone - with the calamari sliced as thinly as rice noodles (and deliciously just as soft and tender).

Crayfish and Shitake with Brae Farm Egg Yolk, Meat Broth and Seaweed

Calamari and Black Lip Abalone, Broccoli and Blue Mackerel

The duck was cooked perfectly - but in terms of flavours and texutres, it wasn't quite in the same league as the duck dish I had recently at Montalto.

Aged Pekin Duck Wood Roasted on the Bone, Pumpkin, Walnut

Unfortunately, the fish and mustard greens were indeed just that - fish and mustard greens which could have done with a touch more seasoning.  The roasted beetroot with marrow, and the quince simmered with vanilla were nice, but were borderline bland and were along the lines of "take it or leave it".

Hapuku, turnip, mustard greens, fish roe whipped with onion 

Beetroot with bone marrow and juniper

Quince simmered with vanilla, sheep's milk and Braw farm honey

The parsnip and apple desert was the much more inspiring desert of the two.

Parsnip and Apple

Unfortunately, $190 later, I was still hungry. On the table asking for another slice of bread each (to try and feel the empty holes in our bellies) you would have thought we asked for another slice of duck! And even after asking two different staff members whether we could some butter with our bread, the butter never arrived.

There were definitely some exceptional highlights to the menu - however it was by no means the new fave. 

Food: 4/5

Venue: 4.5/5

Service: 3/5

Total: 11.5/15

Verdict: like - get around to trying it at some point

4285 Cape Otway Road, Birregurra, VIC

Dinner by Heston

There's no need to give Dinner by Heston an introduction - if you haven't heard of Heston Blumenthal and his magical culinary creations by now,  you may have been living under a rock. Nonetheless, after missing out on a ticket to dine at the Fat Duck when it was in town, the day had finally arrived where I was able to try Heston's Melbourne dining venture - Dinner by Heston.

Arriving at Dinner by Heston for lunch, I was instantly enchanted by the long dark hallway that led to restaurant's door.

The five course lunch menu, available from Friday to Sunday, will set you back $160 per person (with the option of adding accompanying wines for $120 per person). The menu on this occasion consisted of the following:

Hay Smoked Ocean Trout 

Pickled lemon salad, gentleman's relish, wood sorrel and smoked roe

Meat Fruit

Mandarin, chicken liver parfait 

Rice and Flesh

Saffron, curried kangaroo tail, red wine and amaranth

Chicken cooked with lettuces

Grilled onion emulsion, barilla leaves and spiced parsnip sauce

Tipsy Cake

The ocean trout was the dish of the day - a divine balance of textures and flavours, it tasted as exquisite as it looks. 

The meat fruit (appearing on Heston's menu at his Flagship restaurant the Fat Duck and recognised worldwide for its ingenuity) looks like a mandarin, but actually consists of chicken parfait - this little dish was not only a treat on the senses, but was insanely delicious. 

The kangaroo tail was the dish I was most nervous about - I mean, who ever thought of eating the tail of Australia's iconic roo? But to my absolute surprise, it was probably the best price of meat I had ever tried - juicy, tender and full of flavour - definitely opt for trying this part of the animal if you ever have the chance. 

The chicken and lettuce whilst technically perfect, but failed to excite me as at the end of the day, it was just that - chicken and lettuce. 

The Tipsy Cake was one of the best desserts I've had in Melbourne - warm, buttery and creamy, this little pudding was absolutely magnificent.

Is it my favourite restaurant? It's up there - but it didn't quite make the new fave. Was it technically perfect and worth the money? Absolutely. When going to Dinner by Heston, you're not just paying for the food - you're paying for the absolutely incredible service and an experience which can last all afternoon. 

Food: 4.5/5 

Venue: 3.5/5

Service: 5/5

Total: 13/15

Verdict: love - get around to trying it soon

Crown Melbourne, Level 3, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank, Melbourne

 

Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove

Whether it be rain or shine, Winter or Summer, Montalto's Vineyard and Olive Grove in Red Hill is the perfect venue for any occasion. Offering both a formal, award winning chef hat restaurant, and a casual pizza café, Montalto also caters to the price tag.

The degustation menu is a must if visiting the formal restaurant. Offering both a 5 and 7 course menu, we couldn't go past the 5 course option for $105:

Raw cobia, persimmon, sake vinaigrette

 

Slow cooked pumpkin, egg yolk, grains, miso

 

Pan roasted John Dory, pine mushrooms, stacciatella, hazelnut, leek

 

Aged duck breast, carrot, fennel, buckwheat

 

Whipped passionfruit and lemon curd with Daintree chocolate and burnt meringue

The appetisers were both the highlight and the lowlight of the meal.  The mussel with goats cheese appetizers were surprisingly the dish of the day - elegant but still bursting with flavour. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said about the wrapped fig (the fig lacked in any natural sweetness and would have been complimented better by stronger/saltier flavour such as a prosciutto) and the miso cucumber with poppy and sesame seeds (which was both tasteless and boring). 

Luckily it was all uphill from there. Aside from the mussel appetizer, the dish of the day was the cobia. The fish melted in the mouth and was complimented beautifully by the creaminess of the goats cheese and the tartness of the persimmon. 

Not a dish I would usually order, the slow cooked pumpkin was also a dish which was both plated elegantly and was a textual delight.

 

The John Dory was cooked perfectly and was paired beautifully with the pine mushrooms and edible flowers from the garden which added a layered, earthy tone.

However, the aged duck breast was slightly on the disappointing side. Whilst the meat was deliciously flavoured (as was the rest of the dish), the skin was far from crispy and my piece of meat was tough and chewy.
 

The grande finale was as impressive as the mains. Whilst I have a cocoa allergy, the staff were only too happy to offer me a substitute for the desert - poached apples with vanilla bean ice-cream and cinnamon crumb.  The apples were poached perfectly, the ice-cream rich creamy and cinnamon crumb added the required texture to make it overall an exceptional dish.

 

The staff at Montalto are as exceptional as the food - warm, friendly and attentive, they were everything you would expect from a chef hat restaurant.

Aside from its formal dining area and pizza café, Montalto also offers packed picnics for its designated picnic areas between 1 October and 30 April each year - an idea I will be keeping in my pocket for those warmer months.
 

With its elegant and refined food, exceptional staff and stunning location, Montalto is without a doubt the new fave.

Food: 4.5/5

Venue: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Total: 14.5/15

Verdict: The New Fave - get around to trying it soon