Shinboners
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Posts posted by Shinboners
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You lucky thing. Isn't the Three One Two degustation about $110? That, along with the Court House degustation, is superb value.
For those interested, there's a charity auction for Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden foundation. Several restuarants are offering tables for auction, with proceeds going to the foundation. Three One Two is one of the restaurants, and they've got dinner for 10 including wine for auction, and the current bid is at $1,300 at the moment. Go to www.kitchenfoundation.org.au for more info.
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Btw, a recent edition of Epicure mentioned that they would be reviewing Cumulus Inc this Tuesday the 26th.
Lethlean gave it 16/20 and I think he's more in love with McConnell more than you guys are.
For those who missed the review, you can read it here:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/restaurant-r...9516424090.html
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THE AGE GOOD FOOD GUIDE AWARDS
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR Attica
CHEF OF THE YEAR Frank Camorra of MoVida
BEST NEW RESTAURANT Bistro Guillaume
COUNTRY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld
BEST NEW COUNTRY RESTAURANT Tea Rooms at Yarck
WINERY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR Giant Steps/ Innocent Bystander, Healesville
BEST BACCHUS Bar Lourinha
YOUNG CHEF OF THE YEAR Chris Donnellan, of Gingerboy, and Justin Wise, of the Press Room
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Con Christopoulos
DISH OF THE YEAR Smoked trout broth, crackling, basil seeds and fresh smoke, at Attica
WINE LIST OF THE YEAR Circa, the Prince
HITS AND MISSES
* Vue de Monde rejoined Jacques Reymond as the city's only three-hatted restaurants, while MoVida and Verge earned their second hats.
* Becco and the Press Club both lost a hat to join the one-hat ranks.
* Newly hatted restaurants were Bistro Guillaume, Church St Enoteca, Esposito, Estivo, the European, Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons, the Italian, Maha, Paladarr Thai Issan and Sarti.
* Restaurants that lost their hats were the Argo, Shiranui, Idea Fine Food & Wine, Maris, Middle Brighton Baths, Mirka at Tolarno Hotel, Punch Lane, France-Soir, the Graham, Hotel Lincoln, Delizia Cucina,
Da Noi.
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You could check out the following authors:
Philip Johnson, Bill Granger, Kylie Kwong, Neil Perry, Tegue Ezard, Jared Ingersoll, Stephanie Alexander, and Maggie Beer
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As for us, we've been satisfying our A.McC. fetish lately by heading in to Cumulus Inc on a Saturday afternoon. If you sit at the bar (the food one, not the drinks one), you get to watch the food being cooked by the master himself, and his many chefs. We tried to be nonchalant and not get all fan-boy at him
The first time we went, we had a liver parfait that I could happily eat every day until I die, and the second time, to our surprise and delight, the same parfait was included in the charcuterie selection that we ordered. Nothing I've ever eaten has made me wish harder for a cookbook than I'm wishing right now for one with this parfait in it. On the second visit, sheol ordered some boudin noir, which came not in a tube like the sausages we're used to, but baked onto a plate, and something about it was very evocative of that some parfait - a soft, airy texture and sweet-savoury indefinable flavour that writing this has made me crave all over again dammit!'
Okay, you've convinced me. Cumulus is on my list, as are those two dishes.
On the issue of a McConnell cookboook, I'm sure I read somewhere that he would be releasing one. I think it might be the same publishing company that has produced the Botanical/Lake House/Malouf cookbooks. IIRC, the cookbook is going to cover dishes he's done from his days at Diningroom 211 to now.
But then again, Karen Martini was supposed to release a cookook based on her work at the Melbourne Wine Room and Icebergs, and so far, that hasn't seen the light of day.
I think we had that same pork dish on our first Cumulus Inc visit that you had at Three, One, Two. I couldn't decide whether the crispy edge was very thin, well-rendered skin or very well-crisped fat with the skin removed.I thought (or more precisely, assumed) that it was very thin, very well rendered skin.
And busy, I guess - doing a Masters and planning a wedding atm.I think that's a pretty good excuse not to write your blog.
What's your Masters on? I know someone who is writing her Masters on El Bulli.
I'm so excited that someone else appreciates the McConnells the way we do
I'm just annoyed that I waited so long to get to Three One Two.
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Regional Restaurant of the Year
The Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld, Vic
Best New Talent
Dan Hunter, The Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld, Vic
What do you reckon?
If pedigree and hype counts for anything, Dan Hunter and the Royal Mail Hotel will win these two categories. Hunter was the former head chef at Mugaritz in Spain.
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It was reported in Epicure yesterday that the Crown Casino has effectively taken over ownership and management of Nobu at Crown.
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Outstanding, just outstanding. The day started off brilliantly with the humiliation of Eddie McGuire and the Collingwood Football Club and it finished with a sublime dinner at Three One Two.
I’ve been wanting to go to Three One Two for a long time. But sometimes, when you wait so long for something, when you finally try it, it can be a disappointment as the reality doesn’t match up to the dream. But at Three One Two, it was worth the wait.
The joy of Andrew McConnell’s food is that it’s built in such a way where the flavours are distinct, but they don’t clash. Each flavour on the dish supports everything else on the plate. When eating his food, I found myself trying each individual element and then elements together, and you just end up feeling a bit starry eyed and just marvelling at the skill of the chefs. as far as saying that last night’s dinner was one of the most memorable I’ve ever enjoyed.
We started with an amuse bouche of a tube of flaky African pastry, filled with crème fraiche, one end was bloked with an olive tapenade and the other had a balsamic jelly. It looked like a very thin cigar, and it was presented to us in a box. There will be some people who would think this kind of presentation is pretentious, but we thought it was fun, and it set the tone for the evening. Oh, and the amuse bouche was very tasty. Some very good bread and butter was offered, and (other restaurants take note) offered a couple more times as we worked our way through the entrees.
I started with roast Macleay Valley rabbit with cracked wheat pilaf, pistachio, and date. You will read this phrase a couple of times in this review, but it was the best rabbit dish I’ve enjoyed. The meat had that familiar rabbit flavour, but it wasn’t overpowering. The meat was tender, the pilaf provided a soft contrast, and as a whole, the flavours came together. The missus had a white onion soup, seared scallops, ginger, abalone, and sorrel. A plate with four scallops was placed on the table and the soup was poured over it. The scallops were cooked perfectly, the soup had a brilliant velvety texture, and the flavours were balanced. Ginger can be quite an overpowering flavour, but here, they had just enough for you to notice it.
My main was the suckling pig with sweet and sour glaze and slow cooked winter vegetables. It also came with a little pot of (my memory might be a slightly off with this one) shredded cabbage and pear salad. Best. Pork. Dish. Ever. It was rich, tender, and the flavour was incredible. The pork flavour could be too strong for some, but I was revelling in it. The glazed skin reminded me of the top of a crème brulee – it was thin, but oh so crisp. The salad was essential as it helped cut the richness of the pork. The waiter told me that the pork was cooked sous vide for 12 hours at 70 degrees. Meanwhile, my significant other was getting as much pleasure out of her slow cooked pheasant with brussel sprouts, bacon, and bread sauce. She has had pheasant many times, and she feels that the key problems have always been dry meat and the gamey flavour. But not here. She’d probably say Best .Pheasant. Dish. Ever. Moist and tender meat, good flavours without being overpowering, and every part of the dish supporting each other.
Desserts continue on with the high standards set by the other courses. I had poached rhubarb, rhubarb jelly, vanilla custard, ginger beer sorbet, and meringue. To me, it seemed like a very sophisticated version of Eton Mess. A shallow, but wide glass bowl came with rhubarb jelly set on the bottom, and on one half, the jelly was covered with narrow slivers of poached rhubarb, quinelles of the sorbet, streaks of custard, and crushed meringue. The individual components were tasty, but combine them and (to borrow from the Simpsons episode with the Flaming Moe/Homer), it was like a party in your mouth and you’re all invited. As usual, the missus went for the chocolate dessert, which in this case was malted milk chocolate, chocolate sorbet, and px soaked raisins. Judging from the smile on her face, she loved it.
I finished with an excellent coffee whilst she said her Valrhona hot chocolate was like a second dessert.
The plating of the food was superb, and all courses came out at a good pace. The service was superb with the waiters being very friendly and attentive to the needs of all the diners.
The only stuff up for the night was choosing a Wittmann Estate “Dry” Riesling (2007, Rheinhessen, Germany). Whilst the wine was a little bit better when we had the food, it was probably a bit too sweet. A drier wine would have been better. But that was my mistake.
I’d say that Three One Two is one of Melbourne’s essential dining experiences.
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News to my ears Dan... do elaborate!!
The Thomas Keller rumours were doing the rounds last year. I actually thought they had put aside some space at Crown for a 30 seater (or something like that) restaurant. But I haven't heard anything since then. Here's an old thread on the Keller rumour..... http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=100596 Anyway, I've got my order in for his new book on sous vide cooking. btw, one of my footy mates is living in New York and he and his wife had dinner at Per Se (amongst other many fine New York restaurants).
As for Gordon Ramsay, he was in Australia recently, and he spoke about opening a restaruant in either Melbourne or Sydney, but it seemed that he was favouring Melbourne. The rumour was that he was going to do a reality TV show about opening a new restaurant in Australia. Naturally, with him doing a lot of work with Channel 9 (which is home to his Kitchen Nightmares and Hells Kitchen TV shows), and that station's links with Crown Casino, it seems to be a natural fit.
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Oh look, you're all just making me homesick over here. I want to try Bistro Guillaume for all the great reviews it's getting. I want to try Nobu because, well, it has the name 'Nobu' in it. I want to try Flower Drum because it sounds as though it's rejuvenated itself. And now I want to try Three, One, Two. I miss Melbourne.
And the homesickness might get even worse if the rumours are true about Thomas Keller and Gordon Ramsay opening restaurants at Crown.
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If the food tastes as good as they look in the photos, then it would have been a wonderful meal.
I got a good chuckle on your comment about Australian shiraz cabernets.
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I'd go for the BBQ. Steaks, sausages, prawns, a nice salad.....all washed down with plenty of beer.
Or you could go kitsch and enjoy some vegemite sandwiches, a pie with sauce, and a few Tim Tam biscuits and lamingtons.
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Hehe, I posted about Three, One, Two in the "Taxi-like" thread before I saw this post. We went there shortly after it opened, and again about a year later, and both times we were blown away. Top-quality cooking with excellent ingredients, but in a comfortable environment at reasonable prices. We both think it's probably the best restaurant in Melbourne.
Come to think of it, it's been about a year since we were there last; perhaps it's time we went again
I'm pretty much booked in for dinner at Three.One.Two next month. Excellent....I can't wait.
I'll also be at the Furnitex trade show at Jeff's Shed next week, so I'm hoping to have lunch with a friend at Giuseppe, Arnaldo, and Sons.
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Anyway, this Friday we're off to Agrodolce for my missus's birthday.
Agrodolce was very good. The service was excellent, the courses came out at a nice pace, and the food was very well executed.
The mains were the highlights for us. For me, I had a stuffed pigs trotter with citrus juices, and served with braised puy lentils. It had that lovely rich stickiness that you get with a trotter, but there was just enough citrus to cut the richness.
The missus raved about her braised hare....and it was braised with a little bit of dark chocolate.
The waiters also recommended a wine which was a Dunns Creek Estate, 2004 Barbera from the Mornington Peninsula. It's an Italian style wine, and the grapes are grown under some very stressful conditions. The wine itself has a very earthy bouquet, and the flavour was very rich and complex. For me, it had a lot of earthy and chocolate flavours, and the flavour lingered and changed in the mouth. I don't think the wine has a wide distribution, but get in touch with the winery.
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Hehe, I posted about Three, One, Two in the "Taxi-like" thread before I saw this post. We went there shortly after it opened, and again about a year later, and both times we were blown away. Top-quality cooking with excellent ingredients, but in a comfortable environment at reasonable prices. We both think it's probably the best restaurant in Melbourne.
Come to think of it, it's been about a year since we were there last; perhaps it's time we went again
That's a good enough recommendation for me.
Now, the only thing is whether I go there in September as a birthday present to myself or in December to celebrate an anniversary. It's not the worst decision in the world to have to make.
Anyway, this Friday we're off to Agrodolce for my missus's birthday.
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Three places come to mind....
Verge (1 Flinders Lane, Melbourne). They do a similar Japanese/European menu.
Pearl (631-633 Church Street, Richmond). Australian food with a very big Asian influence.
Three.One.Two (312 Drummond Street, Carlton). I haven't been here, but from what I gather, it'd probably fit the bill for what your friend is after.
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Has anybody been to Three.One.Two.?
Looking at their website, a $110 degustation looks like it's very tidy value.
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I've heard stories about people having booking problems/surly waiters/other issues with France Soir, but in all the times I've been, I've never had a problem. My bookings have always been honoured, the food has been very good to excellent, the staff have been fantastic, and I've always had a great time.
Mind you, when we go out to dinner, we avoid Friday and Saturday nights. It has to be something exceptional for us to make a booking at any restaurant on those two evenings.
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I guess all three are quite different. Would be interesting to compare JR to the others as this is one Melbourne fine dining venue that has bee around for ever without getting stale. Another plus is the wine list, which is huge and well priced.
How long in advance would I have to book at JR?
If it wasn't for the crap location, I'd probably go to the other two places. Still, it's in my mind that a few years ago, I booked at Vue de Monde for my birthday. But with a month to go, I cancelled and went to France Soir instead as I knew that I wanted to eat something a lot more comforting and in a restaurant where the atmosphere would be a lot more relaxed.
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Is Nobu at the Crown worth a look? I'm fairly leery of hype. We tend to prefer places where the food is the main thing, with a nicely understated vibe.
Bistro Guillaume (as mentioned in my post above
) might suit you. It got a very good review in the Age a couple of weeks ago.You can find them here: http://www.bistroguillaume.com.au/
Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons is another Crown restaurant that you might enjoy.
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another option is Jacques Reymond, which isn't CBD, but is less then 10 minutes in a cab.
I'm seriously thinking of Jacques Reymond for my birthday. But Rockpool Bar and Grill and Bistro Guillaume are also options (although the main negative is that both are at the Crown).
In recent dining adventures, I took the missus to Wildflower in Surrey Hills for our 5 year anniversary and that was very good. Our next stop (for her birthday) will be Agrodolce in Forest Hills. The owners are Grossi Florentino alumni, so I'm quite looking forward to it.
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I could be missing something, as I've never come across a review or comment of anything other than the v. highest praise. Perhaps i should try the normal menu rather than the Sunday special "homestyle"/masa sitting. Like I said, it's a great setting and atmosphere, but the food always seems 'merely' solid, and disappoints as a result. Maybe it's because I'm not Greek? (although I am extremely white).
It would be an interesting comparison. But as you said yourself, the homestyle food is about comfort, whilst his normal menu would be about the WOW factor.
I'm not a big fan of Greek food (the odd souvlaki notwithstanding), so I probably wouldn't go for the Sunday lunch. But from what I've seen in the Press Club cookbook, I wouldn't mind giving their normal menu a go.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled fisticuffs.Pass me another beer, mate.
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I've had one okay and one ordinary laksa in recent weeks.
Hawkers Cafe 2 in Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn did an okay laksa - it needed a bit more salt to bring the flavours together.
And I had a dreadful one at Nygona Hut on Blackburn Road.
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On a recent trip to Tasmania we were most impressed by produce from the Grandvewe cheesery.
They have wonderful products that are organically produced and which evidence that real artisan quality that distinguishes fine products from mass produced.
They call their sheep pens the Sheep Hilton and the pampered ungulates certainly return the favour with the quality of their milk.
Their website is http://www.grandvewe.com.au/
Thanks for that tip. I'll have to keep an eye out for this cheese.
Dinner At Three One Two
in Australia & New Zealand: Dining
Posted
Yep. I love those moments. It's the thing that makes spending all that money worthwhile.