Yu-U - The Dragon's Den

Despite having traversed Flinders Lane to visit numerous restaurants and places of interest in my life, I had never spotted the entrance to Yu-U. After hunting around for it like a pig does a truffle, I found the unmarked entrance to the restaurant surrounded by graffiti, threw open the door and descended into another world. I was immediately mesmerised by the dark smokey ambiance, concrete and polished timber. We were greeted with a smile by service who escorted us to seats at the yakitori grill after stopping to admire the fit-out.

Looking up and to the left I saw small windows that would provide some natural light during the day but in the evening you are left to see traces of images of the legs of human beings as they traverse past on Flinders lane from this subterranean bunker of sorts. The yakitori grill takes up a massive amount of space. Not only is it quite comfortable to sit at, service has a fair amount of space behind the grill to operate, pour drinks and then collect items from the grill itself. The layout is very Japanese and the venue itself is a place that personifies Melbourne.

After our hands were refreshed by very nice warm towels that were provided, I ordered 720ml of Shouchu Shirashinken ($105). Shouchu is different to sake - it is distilled and this particular drink has a noticeable taste of barley. Those that appreciate Shouchu can drink it neat, but for me it was like drinking straight vodka so despite trying to prove my manhood from the first glass, and seeing that my dining companion was also having a hard time with the taste, I asked for some soda and ice to accompany this beverage. For the remainder of the meal, service would lovingly pat down the perspiration on our glasses, gently add ice cubes and mix just a fraction of soda into this very bold and clear drink.

The restaurant has ten "cold dishes" available and we started with maguro (yellowfin tuna $18), buri (kingfish $15) and sumiso ae - an intriguing mix of avacado and salmon sashimi cubes marinated with mustard and miso sauce adorned with flying fish roe ($12). I couldn't help but think of the toro available at Shoya not far away and did not want to linger tasting sashimi in a restaurant that clearly is known for its hot dishes. The raw fish was very nice regardless.

As the restaurant filled up, more patrons started ordering items from the charcoal grill. We were not an exception. Not feeling adventurous, we made it easy for the chef and opted for the mixed eight skewers that are served without the chicken liver, skin, giblet and heart ($31) which were in turn excellent. Watching the chef use a paper fan to encourage the smoke from the grill to linger on the chicken before it was sucked through the powerful ventilation unit was soothing and left me in a trance. The kitchen fans are not able to eliminate all of the smoke from the grill though and as the night continued on, the restaurant became very smokey. The down lights throughout the restaurant identified the smoke and left me to believe I was at a concert however after a while it started to irritate my eyes and the novelty wore off.

The chicken which was originally sourced from Lilydale, made for some of the nicest free range chicken that I have ever had on a skewer. Oddly a single wing was also served and although it was tasty, it seemed out of place.

Alaskan king crab meat, cucumber, wakame seaweed with a sweet vinegar ($17) was presented after we consumed all of the chicken. This special was the highlight of the meal for me. The delicate taste of the crab went well with the Shouchu which was getting sipped with impunity. We resisted the urge to order chicken cartilage and other beef dishes and decided to finish with the unagi kabayaki - grilled eel with teriyaki sauce and wasabi. The intense flavours of the eel made the Shouchu very easy to drink and before I knew it, the bottle had been finished and we were back on Flinders Lane searching out further entertainment.

I was impressed with Yu-U. For me, the service is what made the experience a special one and when combined with the ambiance and different types of food on offer, it made for a memorable evening and I would certainly return however next time I will be trying the various chicken organs hot from the grill. Yu-U was awarded one hat in The Age Good Food Guide 2012/2013.

Yu-U

137 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9639 7073

http://www.plus39.com.au

My Rating: 15/20

Service: 4.25/5

Ambiance: 3.25/5 (smoke factored in)

Quality: 4/5

Value For Money: 3.5/5

Opening Times
Lunch: Mon - Fri 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Dinner: Mon - Sat 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 88% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Yu-U.

+39 Pizzeria on Little Bourke Street - Ace of Base

One thing that I appreciate about +39 Pizzeria on Little Bourke Street is that they open their doors for dinner service at 5:00 PM. My drinking partner and I who had previously retreated to the Irish Times on Little Collins Street were determined to enjoy a substantial meal because meetings earlier in the day extended through lunch, so my stomach was running on empty for the day and in fact I was agitated enough to honestly say that the tasty beer at the pub was not achieving its purpose.

We arrived at the restaurant at 5:15 PM and seemingly just in time. Despite walking into a vacant restaurant, only ten minutes later it had nearly filled to capacity. Long rows of tables were set up in anticipation for the hungry hordes however fortunately we were not relegated to a communal dining experience and instead were lucky enough to secure a table for two in the rear of the restaurant, away from the front door that was frequently being opened and allowing a cold gust of air in. There are tables near the window at the front of house but the sacrifice is being that you need to deal with the inconvenience of the elements and of course the foot traffic coming into the restaurant.

Service was quick to take our orders. I was so hungry that I immediately selected the special minestrone ($12) that was advertised in chalk on the wall near the kitchen. Birra Messina, a clear pale yellow beer from Sicily was on offer ($8/bottle) so I decided to continue on the wet path that I started earlier. A Degustazione mista - mixed tasting ($26) was ordered along with the soup, which included a selection of Italian cheeses and meats with the highlight being the spicy salumi - salami. The soup had a reasonable amount of vegetables in it and appeared to be prepared in the recent past as the carrots still had a bit of structure and nothing was overtly soggy.

As we also ordered the focaccia semplice ($9) which was just simple bread which allowed me to appreciate the cheeses a bit more, despite the extra-virgin olive oil, salt and rosemary, the morsels were nothing special. When the Bufala buffalo pizza arrived, the two person table was completely full and it presented a serious problem for service. One of my pet peeves at restaurants involve situations like this. Sure, it is in the interest of the customer and the kitchen to get the food as soon as it has been suitably prepared however there was no foresight with respect to real estate on the small table, which was already cramped in between other tables. We quickly enveloped the remaining focaccia, the remaining cheeses and drank the soup from the bowl just so that service could remove the pieces of ceramic, the riser and the wooden board effectively making room for the pizza. A simple pizza at that with Italian tomato salsa, buffalo mozzarella and basil, thus the apt name. It had a beautiful crust and the base, was absolutely full of flavour and wonderful. I had never experienced anything like it and distracted me from the mozzarella which is a hedonistic favourite of mine and made it simply as an aside.

Despite the restaurant being filled to capacity by the time our pizza arrived, service remained attentive and was quickly able to source and deliver new bottles of Messina, which we drank quickly because the close proximity of the group next to us was starting to annoy so the bill was paid and an exit into the then brisk night was made.

+39 Pizzeria

362 Little Bourke St., Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9642 0440

http://www.plus39.com.au

My Rating: 13/20

Service: 3.25/5

Ambiance: 3/5

Quality: 3.5/5

Value For Money: 3.25/5

Opening Times
Lunch: Mon -Sat 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Dinner: Mon - Sat 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 80% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon like +39 Pizzeria.

Café Vue 401 St Kilda Road - Any Given Sunday

Being tasked to organise a relaxing yet modest lunch somewhere between Southbank and St Kilda on a mild Sunday afternoon did not pose much of a problem. My reluctance to stagger to Café Vue at 401 St Kilda Road whilst still nursing a sore head and body after an especially big day out previously at Shoya, Eveleigh Bar, Hell of the North and the Gertrude Hotel is what concerned me however in the end after a somewhat lackluster dawdle there, I was able to meet friends and more importantly languish outside and be offered some professional service.

This particular Café Vue (there are five locations in Melbourne) is popular on the weekdays with the St Kilda Road corporate crowd and remains rather calm, cool and collected on the weekends as the uptight sorts have all left the area. What is most oddly appealing for me is the small outdoor dining space on the street. Normally I am not one that likes to dine next to the road however the manicured shrubs shield your eyes from the unsightly automobiles traversing back and forth and it is surprisingly peaceful despite the proximity to the bitumen.

After advising the staff that we were going to not only rest but dine outside, menus were provided. We inquired about the daily three course blackboard special ($55) however opted to start with the special artichoke soup followed by the David Blackmore wagyu beef burger ($19) with crispy bacon and a side of fries. Although the soup could have used a bit more salt, I found it tasty and very appropriate for the mild conditions of the day. Bread is provided so you are not left in distress considering how to suck up the remaining remnants of taste when the bowl is nearly vacant. The wagyu beef burger was much larger than I expected it to be. Being a fan of the Neil Perry waygu beef burger that is available from Rockpool Bar & Grill, I had high expectations and Shannon Bennett's café kitchen met them. What I was impressed with was that the crispy bacon was actually crispy - go figure, and combined with the fries, this dish certainly filled us up. Dirty Granny cider ($7) seemed appropriate over the Peroni ($7.50) that was on tap but in retrospect, I may have erred. The beer would have complimented the David Blackmore beef better however in the end, a bit of alcohol of any sort managed to improve both my mood and constitution and left me wanting more.

When we retreated inside with the intention to purchase macarons from the display cabinet, we decided that we were far too full and it would have been a gluttonous exercise that at least for me was not in the interest of my waist size. I did purchase some fresh bread that is on offer from a basket and took that with me to the bar at the Royce Hotel next door which had the footy  playing and of course ultimately a constant flow of inebriating fluids that are a requirement for watching any given game on a sullen Sunday.

Café Vue

401 St Kilda Rd., Melbourne VIC 3004
(03) 9866 8055

http://www.vuedemonde.com.au

My Rating: 13.25/20

Service: 3.25/5

Ambiance: 3.25/5

Quality: 3.5/5

Value For Money: 3.25/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 72% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon like Café Vue on St Kilda Road.

Cicciolina St Kilda - The Naked Truth

With the weather becoming colder and the sky weeping on occasion the other day, I had the honour of choosing a location for a much heralded lunch meeting in St Kilda and I happily made a booking at Cicciolina on Acland Street. The Italian-Australian fare and warm service on offer at this local stalwart seemed appropriate considering the climate, which ultimately cleared up incidentally whilst enjoying the second bottle of wine.

Three of us converged on the restaurant all at different times with a booking. Service was happy to provide Hepburn Springs sparkling water ($8) whilst the various parties waited for each other to arrive. Nothing seemed to be too hard or inconvenient for service at the restaurant and I found it a rather relaxed environment. Fortunately being the second to arrive, I was able to take a chair in the front dining room which enabled me to face the erotic artwork on the wall. When the conversation ultimately became quite boring and tedious at various points in the afternoon, I would inspect every detail of the art in my view. Not because I am a pervert, but just because I found the imagery fascinating and much more interesting than the conversation at times.

A Sorrenberg Gamay ($75) from Beechworth, VIC, was the first bottle of wine to arrive. I thought it would be appropriate being light and fruity, which would have matched well with nearly anything that we would order as an entree. Gamay is really the only grape grown in France's Beaujolais region and our friends in Beechworth have done an excellent job developing it into a light and cheerful vintage that would stand alone as a drinking wine and is even better with food. I paired the soufflé of blue swimmer crab meat with shallot and lemon thyme served on a champagne and chive velouté ($20.50) which although would be perceived as a smaller starter compared to others available, it was packed with flavour and really complemented the Gamay. Swimmer crab is a personal favourite of mine and I was impressed.

When the Sorrenberg had been vanquished and remained as a mere memory, a bottle of 2010 Erath Pinot Noir ($70) from Willamette Valley, Oregon USA, was sourced. I started to appreciate wine from this region more after attending Pinot Palozza in Melbourne last year. As the region had not been producing grapes for that long, classically I have always ignored it but found that the Erath, despite being more of a fruity wine, I thought would selfishly match my main quite well; the special venison leg fillet with potato gnocchi, baby beets and a chestnut ragu ($41.50). The venison was roasted rare and was amazing. Very lean cuts combined with a beautiful purple-rare colour complimented both the ragu and potato gnocci like a dream. I am glad that I opted for the lighter wine so that it did not overwhelm the taste of the deer and in the end I was satisfied by the large portion provided. My dining companions seemed to enjoy their respective scotch fillet ($41.50) and duck leg ($40.50) and were equally impressed by the matching of the wine.

Throughout the extended dining experience service remained consultative and patient. Head chef Michelle Elia has devised a smart menu where the fundamentals of Italian cuisine can shine and when served in the cozy confines of the dining room, or even the back bar which is open on weekends, makes for an experience within itself. Making a journey to the toilet requires you to leave the restaurant completely with a key that will grant you access to shared facilities in the complex. When I spotted the junkies hanging out at the entrance to the restroom I decided my bladder was not that full and instead retreated back to the dining room knowing that I had the resolve to hold it in until we visited a bar afterwards.

I would certainly return to Cicciolina and it does make for an alternative to Café Di Stasio if you are looking to enjoy Italian cuisine in St Kilda.

Cicciolina

130 Acland St., St Kilda VIC 3182
(03) 9525 3333

http://www.cicciolinastkilda.com.au

My Rating: 15/20

Service: 3.75/5

Ambiance: 3.5/5

Quality: 4/5

Value For Money: 3.75/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 87% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon like Cicciolina.

Shoya - A Toro Playground

I have had a running disagreement with a mate in Sydney for years about two Japanese restaurants and which one is better. In my humble opinion, I give the honours to Azuma at Chifley Tower and he believes Yoshii at the Shangri-La Hotel shines brighter, most likely because of some equally great meals served over the years and at one point they possessed two of the coveted SMH Good Food Guide chefs hats. When I lived in Brisbane, I found a place that trumped each of these fine diners, Sono on Queen Street.  I was constantly impressed by the service and quality of food both at the Brisbane CBD location and its sister out in Hamilton near the wharf. Flash forward to very recent times where I happened to come upon Shoya. Not only was I very impressed with my overall experience, I believe I have found a new winner in the Japanese dining stakes.

The restaurant itself it set out over multiple stories, all of which have a different purpose. There is a Japanese barbecue, a more formal and traditional dining area and although not concealed from the public, the diners were honouring the tradition of removing their shoes before sitting at the low tables. Further up the stairs you find a sushi bar with standard tables littered around the perimeter. We opted for a table not far from the sushi bar so that we could enjoy the best of both worlds.

Whilst I was gazing both longingly and lustfully at the tasting specials, my celebrated dining companion exclaimed "they have toro!" which immediately made my jaw drop and grab the second menu to investigate further. The menu described a virtual cornucopia of fish belly options (the definition of "toro" is the fatty belly of a specific fish) and I immediately ordered four pieces of oo-toro ($10/each) which is the highest grade of tuna available. It is marbled throughout and literally melts in your mouth. I had only found toro once before in Melbourne and it was at Koko and in that review on this blog I lamented with a sullen tone that I was disappointed as they had frozen their toro. This was certainly not the case at Shoya. It was beautiful and heavenly and one of the best fresh tastes that i have had all year.

Buzzing, I knocked back an Asahi Super Dry ($7.50) and went back to inspecting the tasting specials. They all looked very intriguing and most formed part of various tasting menus that were available however feeling greedy, I wanted to select the most intriguing items and then return to toro tasting. Salmon Tartare Monaka ($12/each) was the first special to arrive. Salmon toro tartare placed delicately on a Japanese wafer and served with black vinegar. The delicate wafer and fish were made for one another and was certainly a special way to follow-on from the wonders of the oo-toro that was enjoyed just minutes prior.

The Golden Perch ($12/each) was next to appear and we were advised to eat it quickly and in one bite so that the foundation of the tomato mousse, foie gras and semi-dried mullet roe would not disintegrate from the weight of the lightly grilled miso-flavoured perch. This was another collection of ingredients that melted in my mouth and the explosion of flavour was extreme. The small portion of perch was also delicate but grilled perfectly.

A pan-fried Monk Awabi (abalone) from Tasmania ($12/each) was next presented in its own small shell and was mixed with a French Monk Fish liver, apple sauce and topped with miso cream cheese and spring onion. If abalone is not dressed well, it is a very boring dish but this was certainly not the case with this creative concoction. the liver and cream cheese really highlighted the flavour of the abalone and the spring onion was a nice touch, not only with respect to the overall taste but presentation as honestly, abalone and liver in a small shell doesn't really look very appealing.

The Unagi Canape ($12/each) was the most interesting of the tasting specials. This was literally grilled miso marinated eel, formed into what could have been confused with small and thin breadsticks, and topped with Kokkaido crab meat, salmon caviar and a black truffle. The taste of the solid miso and eel was once again not only perfect but playful and the long staff being stuffed with crab meet and salty caviar made it all the more special. If I could, I would want this to form part of my staple diet daily.

Petite Tempura Lobster ($12/each) finalised the selection of tasting specials that we ordered. The name sums it up well. Tempura lobster topped topped with cream cheese, Hokkaido clam, a spiced miso sauce and is wrapped with witloff or "white leaf" which is a vegetable related to the endive. Although it was good, it was a bit boring compared to the other tastes previously enjoyed. Not to disrespect the lobster, which was really nice however I found the dishes that led up to this much more intriguing and special.

It was then time to return to toro tasting. Salmon toro sushi ($6/each) and hamachi (kingfish) toro sushi ($6/each) all prepped us for the lightly seared aburi oo-toro ($11/each), which was essentially us revisiting the previous oo-toro that we started the amazing meal with but having it lightly seared. All of it was amazing and the aburi oo-toro was the star of this meal and one of the highlights of my dining year so far.

In the various reviews you will find on this blog, you will not see me carrying on about desserts very often. I tend to skip them in exchange for more savoury options. When I spotted Sea Urchin Cheese Cake ($16/each) listed I was not only intrigued but perplexed. After consulting with service, I learned that this dessert in fact incorporates sea urchin into the cheese cake. How could I resist? What I had was just amazing. A fine balance between the taste of the ocean and that of a normal cheese cake. The texture was amazing and I was blown away by this. Anybody who likes sea urchin (uni) just has to try this dessert for the sake of having bragging rights and impressing not only Japanese dining aficionados but also the "foodies" that you come into contact with more often these days.

As evident in these written words, it is pretty obvious that I enjoyed my visit to Shoya and I am already plotting my return which will include a visit to the sushi bar and fresh lobster sushi, prepared from live lobster from the tank ($150) which was always a highlight of my visit to Sono on Queen Street in Brisbane. Throughout the two hours that we spent at Shoya, service remained very attentive and friendly. I believe they were amused by us because we were so excited by the tastes and of course of the fact that toro was being offered. Bottles of Asahi were quickly replaced after they were vacated and water was always quickly provided. The ambiance was a bit dark and brooding, yet traditional in places and I found moving in between the different themed areas to be fun. Even the phalanx of stinky shoes that were removed by the formal diners on the way to the toilet, which has a modest fit-out to say the least, was all part of the charm.

Shoya was an epicurean adventure for me and I look forward to returning soon. This restaurant was awarded "one hat" in the 2012/2013 The Age Good Food Guide and I can certainly understand why. I didn't take any of photos of the interior as it did not seem appropriate at the time so apologies for the lack of a photo montage being available. 

Shoya

25 Market Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9650 0848

http://www.shoya.com.au

My Rating: 15.75/20

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 3.5/5

Quality: 4.75/5

Value For Money: 3.5/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 89% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon like Shoya.

Portello Rosso + Murmur Bar - Oak Forests, Acorns and Pigs

When we arrived a bit late at Portello Rosso the other day with the hopes of an extended and relaxed lunch, I was not expecting too much consideration to be given by the restaurant since we did not have a booking and it was nearly the middle of the afternoon. Regardless of the situation, the restaurant which is located on Warburton Lane, off of Little Bourke Street was happy to accommodate two hungry blokes.

Our punishment was not being able to order one of the paellas simply because of the time required to put out a quality product. Not to be disappointed though, we compensated by starting off with 30g of jamón ibérico de bellota ($40.50) which was very rich and savory. The finest ham which is from free range pigs that roam oak forests along the border between Spain and Portugal that eat only acorns (bellota) which are ultimately slaughtered and the ham is cured, in this case for 48 months. Served with slices of bread and matched with the 2011 El Pajaro Rojo Bierzo Mencia which was on "special" according to the blackboard ($44) and certainly complemented the rich and wonderful taste of the jamon. Mencia is a red Spanish grape varietal found mainly in the Bierzo, Ribieria Sacra and Valdeorras appellations of northern Spain. Bierzo is a remote area of Galicia, a cool province bordering that Atlantic Ocean. That is where the next dish was influenced from so the wine was a natural segue.

One of the restaurants "signature dishes" being Pulpa de Galicia - marinated octopus Galicia style served over paprika potato with chilli, spanish onion and black garlic ($20) was just amazing. Although you could easily drink the wine on its own, is flavours were enhanced by the pairing of these neighbours. The octopus was so soft and the flavours so pronounced that I could have been satisfied just having this dish and the jamon and have gone on my merry way but fortunately the goodness did not end there.

A selection of pequenos or sharing dishes were then ordered. Crispy pork belly served over almond and garlic puree ($6 each) acted as a bridge before we continued with very large piquello peppers stuffed with spanner crab along with a fish and dill mousse ($7.50 each) which were bold enough to take on the rich flavours of the wine. These peppers were huge with an equally large portion of spanner crab and I loved them.

Not to be outdone on the enormity of the tastes and sheer volume of spanner crab, the jamon-wrapped king prawns ($8 each) were just as huge. I really enjoyed the prawn being wrapped with the jamon and the whole of the prawn being served on a mixed leaf salad. The size of the prawns were almost daunting and when we originally placed the order, the server raised her eyebrow thinking that we were being ambitious with the amount of food required and I can understand why.

Whilst enjoying the shared dishes, we supplemented the flavours with an order of patatas bravas - crispy potatoes dusted in smoked paprika with a spicy tomato sauce and aioli ($13) which were especially nice when paired with the tortilla del dia - a spanish style fritter with onion jam ($6) and when washed down with more wine rounded out a very bold and exciting dining experience.

Head chef Aaron Whitney certainly has a winner on his hands. This is an exciting menu full of comfort with an attentive and cheery staff. There is minimal dining space on both the ground level where you have the ability to watch the kitchen in action but there is also seating upstairs in a loft type setting. I really liked this experience and when the bill came, I was pleasantly surprised.

Given that we wore out our welcome by staying nearly all afternoon, it was suggested that we go to the adjoining bar next door, which is also owned by Portello Rosso, called Murmur. It had just opened for business being 4:30 PM, and we happily obliged. A quick trek up a flight of stairs and you enter an attic space with high ceilings and a really cool fit-out. This is one of the reasons why I love Melbourne so much - finding spaces like this, almost like hidden gems which quickly become popular with the after-work corporate crowd. There was a wide variety of beer available and the barkeep was actively making cocktails for the lovely ladies who appeared whilst I was distracted when I was catching up on e-mail after being in dereliction of my afternoon duties, but that is nothing that a Brunswick Bitter can not solve. This is certainly a bar worth frequenting regardless if you visit Portello Rosso and I am looking forward to returning to both of them soon.

Portello Rosso + Murmur Bar

15+17 Warburton Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9602 2273
http://www.portellorosso.com.au
http://www.murmur.com.au
My Rating: 15.25/20

Service: 3.75/5

Ambiance: 3/5

Quality: 4.25/5

Value For Money: 4.25/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this post, 89% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also like Portello Rosso. A further 92% of the reviewers also like Murmur Bar.