Paco's Tacos - Frank is probably at Mamasita

Original review published on 15/07/2012 and updated for currency and re-rated after two revisits on 07/12/2012.

Having visited Mexico multiple times and becoming accustomed to dirty street "authentic" food, I always visit new Mexican-inspired eateries with both trepidation and anxiety. When I learned that Movida was launching Paco's Tacos in the forecourt outside of their Movida Aqui restaurant I was hopeful that they would get it right and I would have a place where I could easily wander to from Southbank and enjoy comfort food in a relaxed outdoor area on demand.

When I first wrote a review about Paco's Tacos, I was indifferent to the experience but after revisiting it another two times over the last three months, my perception has changed. During the lunch time rush at 500 Bourke Street, the office workers inundate this place, smoke the dreaded cancer sticks and no doubt ponder their forthcoming urgent meetings whilst enjoying $6 tacos. I have come to enjoy the Carnitas (pulled pork with pineapple sauce) along with the Carne Asada (braised beef, chipotle and carne asada) however have taken a recent fancy to the Pescado (marinated fish, chipotle and radish) however at times I have found the fish to be very moist and the taco to be very messy so if you are wearing your best Armani suit, beware.

The biggest drawback to this place that I have found is that there never seems to be enough staff working behind the counter to meet the demand. In this brave new world where everyone pays with a plastic card and only one register can accommodate this payment method, every time I have frequented this place this shortcoming to their infrastructure has caused some massive bottlenecks and queues. The staff also must endure special requests to modify the $6 tacos (hold the salsa, hold the rice, hold the shell, etc) whilst organising beverages and dealing with the register. Once they streamline the service counter, this place will rock.

As we move from spring to summer, I am finding the forecourt where Paco's Tacos to be located (outside of MoVida Aqui) to be a very relaxed and convenient location. They do have a good selection of Mexican beer and not just the piss that is known as Corona and also sangria available however personally I do not like the recipe that they use.

Paco's Tacos
Link to review
1/500-512 Bourke Street  Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9663 3038
http://www.pacostacos.com.au
My Rating: 12.5/20
Service: 2.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 3/5
Value For Money: 3.5/5
Comment: All tacos are $6

Twitter: @epicurean3006

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

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

At the time of this repost, 74% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon like Paco's Tacos.

The Local (Port Melbourne) - Proper Pub and Grub

In yesterday's post on Jimbo & Rex I was carrying on that there is no longer a proper pub at the Crown Casino. Upon pondering it more, I haven't come across many actual pubs. Most have some silly theme, are trying to be something that they shouldn't and some shockingly do not even have LCD screens playing the sport.

Although it is a bit of a walk from me in Southbank, I stumbled across The Local on Bay Street in Port Melbourne not long ago. Televisions playing repeats of the EPL, Cricket and even AFL games which were contested six months ago adorned the walls. Even booths were retrofitted to have their own LCD screens playing the sport. How intimately cool is that?

The soiled green carpet and old wood panelling gives it some character however the true characters are those languishing at the bar enjoying their pints of Carlton Draught. These patrons looked like they had been there since the place started trading and it didn't look as if they were going to be dislodged any time soon.

The menu had all of the classics that you would find in a true pub. Steak, parma, pasta... but I opted for the Lamb Shank Pie: slow-cooked lamb shank in Guinness sauce with mashed potatoes and peas, topped with golden puff pastry for $23. As I knocked back my Carlton Draught, the pie was delivered to my table by the window. It was huge. I mean HUGE! I would soon find after exposing the lamb shank under the pastry that it was still on the bone which led to a serious amount of flavour absorbed by the ingredients in the innards. Another pint was ordered and I took to the challenge of consuming the beast. I lost in the end but the fight was well worth it.

Visit this place if you are looking for pub food and a relaxed atmosphere especially if you are keen to watch the sport. It is as simple as catching the tram from the CBD. Too easy.

The Local

Link to review

24 Bay Street
Port Melbourne VIC 3207
(03) 9646 0072

http://www.thelocalportmelbourne.com.au

No Ratings Offered

Twitter: @epicurean3006

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

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 77% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon liked The Local however the sample was taken out of a very small 45 votes.

Jimbo & Rex - Caterpillar to Chrysalis

About a month ago, I wandered to the "West End" of the Crown Casino with the hopes of enjoying a few quiet ales at the so-called "The Pub at Crown" which has been a convenient venue to frequent to catch up with mates and watch sport before hitting the tables with impunity. On this particular occasion I found the pub shut and the space being renovated, along with the site next door. Frankly, I was a bit pissed off as I enjoyed watching the sport at this pub and would later migrate to the Merrywell to placate this basic need.

Not long ago a mate wanted to catch up after work and it was his turn to nominate the location so he said that we should try Jimbo & Rex. "I know not of what you refer to kind sir" was the family friendly response that I will transpose on this blog but after sharing a few obscenities and making proclamations that we needed to get liquored up before taking on the tables at Crown, I finally realised that the old "The Pub at Crown" site had re-opened and is now Jimbo & Rex and was indeed not out in the Dandendong Ranges.

Upon entering the old pub that originally looked like a caterpillar I noticed that it had turned into a chrysalis. It was quite the metamorphosis. A long curving bar greets you and the rest of the space has been turned into a restaurant. We were most interested in the bar, so we pulled up stools and ordered Carlton Draught. As you would expect, pints are charged at $9/each however at the point in time we didn't care as we had planned to own the casino by the end of the night. The barman was efficient and friendly but then again we were the only ones at the bar so he didn't have to do much at the time. We noticed that there were $9.90 specials on the way in however we quickly learned after making a polite query that they were not available at the bar and instead there was a bar menu for food. I thought that was strange since if I fell off my stool, my head would hit one of the tables in the restaurant so I was surprised that you actually had to move a metre to enjoy the specials. So we laughed and mocked this policy amongst ourselves whilst we enjoyed more $9 pints.

After four pints each, we announced that we were going to shuffle a few metres over and order some food off the real menu. We were advised that the tab can not be transferred from the bar to the restaurant as the system does not allow it. So we endured the process and closed out the tab and started another one a metre away at the table. The full restaurant menu seemingly is not available at the bar.

I ordered the Roast Beef sandwich ($17) with ultimately came with a slaw and "Big Boy" chips. There was far too much bread and capsicum compared to beef which was chewy. The "Big Boy" chips were nice and matched well with my cellared six day old Carlton Draught. It was a while before I could try the slaw as I had to remind the server that I am not out in the Dandenong Ranges on a bushwalk so I would prefer to eat it with a utensil, which originally was not provided.  My mate had the 500g T-Bone Steak ($34) and after he kindly shared a bite with me, we lamented as to why we just didn't stop around at the bar at Rockpool Bar & Grill on the ground floor as there was nothing special about it. A mere $159 doesn't get you much these days it would seem.

The service was genuinely trying their damnedest to do their best and the service manager was actively out on the floor providing direction the staff constantly. It may be because the place is relatively new that they are experiencing some opening pains however when I think of this place compared to what you can get at say Merrywell, which is a mere 25m away and accessible from the same level of the casino, I would head there in a heartbeat next time. Without actually going into the casino, it is now rather difficult to get a quiet drink at Crown. As The Waiting Room changed hands and Jimbo & Rex not a proper boozer, I will have to continue to hunt for somewhere in the complex to satisfy my basic primal needs.

This would make a good venue to meet a group of mates on the weekend for some quick and cheerful food. I would never think of it as a primary destination for a night out but as a service stop so to speak before enjoying everything Crown has on offer. Just keep in mind that you will be hoping to realise your dreams of owning the casino after the bill is presented to you.

Jimbo & Rex

Link to review

Level 1, West End, Crown Casino
Southbank VIC 3006
(03) 9690 2688

http://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/jimbo-and-rex

My Rating: 10.5/20

Service: 2.5/5

Ambiance: 3/5

Quality: 2.5/5

Value For Money: 2.5/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

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

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 89% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon liked Jimbo & Rex however the sample was taken out of a very small 48 votes.

Chez Dré - The Doctor Is In

In defiance of all of the usual healthy recommendations from Bupa and every other subject matter expert, I remain steadfast in not eating breakfast daily. I haven't since I was in Year 9 when I raged against the machine and although many would say that I am ridiculous, I do not feel as if my life has been adversely affected by this life choice. However there are rare occasions that I do fall into the morning food trap. These include social events as I do not want to appear to be a leper, before I go snowboarding (feed me carbs!) or if I am planning a huge day enjoying tasty alcoholic beverages whilst the cricket is being broadcast.

Although it seems like an epoch has passed now, it was only a week ago that I met a mate at a patisserie/boulangerie/café called Chez Dré in South Melbourne to socialise over breakfast but to also prepare our bodies for the impending torture it was going to experience at the pub watching the Cricket all afternoon. Normally I find breakfast a chore when I am tasked to enjoy it, with the only exception for the year being a visit to the Hardware Societe, but it surely wasn't this time - in fact it turned out to be a delightful experience.

Chez Dré was buzzing on this mild Sunday morning. There were couples reading the newspaper together, tourists, prams, hipsters waiting for coffee to takeaway, babies giggling and what it seemed to be a fair amount of locals languishing around nursing hangovers and catching up about debauchery experienced from the previous evening. At least that is what I overheard after we were seated in the outdoor eating area after about a three minute wait.

Provided the weather is accommodating, the patio is a great place to hang out. You are not cramped and you feel not only welcome but are immediately relaxed. Perhaps living in the CBD essentially I do not get the opportunity to dine under a tree that sheds pollen so it was a new experience for me which I found it idyllic. An oasis of sorts. Fortunately the pollen only ended up entangled in my hair and not in my breakfast or coffee which I would ultimately order.

After being escorted to our table, a coffee order was quickly made. After walking to South Melbourne from Southbank, I was fiending for coffee so I was hypersensitive to the wait. It seemed like ages until it arrived however with the amount of people enqueued for takeaway coffee and every other table seemingly ordering it, I could understand the delay. It was well worth the wait though and the large long black recharged me in no time.

After waiting for coffee, we ordered Le Grand Petit Déjeuner ($19.50) which is what we normally refer to as The Big Breakfast. The usual suspects were included when the food came out, about 20 minutes after ordering. The poached eggs were not only prepared perfectly, they looked great and I would discover that in the few seconds that it took me to devour them, they tasted great. The sausages were minted and pleasant for relaxing breakfast. The rosti was unique. It was not quite a hash brown but a lightly fried variant which was certainly giving me the foundations for the beer that I intended to consume later in the pub. Interesting enough, the highlight for me which brought all of the flavours together and actually gave me an idea for something that I can easily prepare at home that would not only entertain but intrigue is the "smashed avacado" with a feta cheese infusion. This was a new blend of sorts for me and I found it amazing. It brought together all of the elements in this big breakfast and made it very enjoyable.

As I was streaming the cricket broadcast to my phone, we were in no rush to leave so we ordered more coffee. Another 20 minute wait yielded another cup however they brought out a small cup this time instead of repeating my order for a large cup. I watched the queue for the restaurant form in the laneway and people get anxious about their wait. It seems we lucked out however the wait propagates throughout your experience at Chez Dré. If you are interested in quick service or being able to rock up and be seated quickly, this is probably not the place that you want to frequent but if you are instead more interested in the quality of food, enjoying the ancient art of socialising and actually taking advantage of spending time with others unencumbered by the stress of schedules, I would highly recommend Chez Dré.

Whilst waiting to pay (notice the overarching theme) I was able to enjoy free tastes of cheesecake that was on offer, temping you to order desserts and treats to takeaway from their extensive display cabinet. I thought the quality of the sample was divine and I look forward to sampling some other items from the cabinet next time around.

Chez Dré

Link to review

285-287 Coventry Street
South Melbourne VIC 3205
(03) 9690 2688

http://www.chezdre.com.au

My Rating: 12.5/20

Service: 3/5

Ambiance: 3/5

Quality: 3.5/5

Value For Money: 3/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

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

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 88% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon liked Chez Dré.

Akachochin - Lanterns Made Of Red Papers Beckons

Akachochin, located at South Wharf had been on my list of places to try for quite some time. Having been intrigued after reading the positive press and having it highly recommended by the good folk at Henry and the Fox I made my way there with the hope of enjoying a relaxing Friday lunchtime experience.

To gain access to Akachochin, one must present themselves at The Sharing House next door and announce your intentions to dine. The friendly staff at The Sharing House will then escort you to Akachochin where you will then be greeted again. Without a booking, we were informed that spaces were available at the sushi bar and I happily accepted the invitation to sit there.

A sushi bar in a purported izakaya I found novel but almost necessary for the restaurant to differentiate itself in an area littered with choices and also those fortunate enough to work just over the pedestrian bridge in Docklands that would systematically go on the hunt daily for nutrients at lunch like the hounds of war, ravenous and frothing at the mouth. There was a good selection of fish on display and I did find it intriguing that despite it being stored in a cold enclosure that plastic wrap was still being used to protect it.

The very attentive server was happy to provide water without being asked and when the bottle of sake that I wanted to order was out of stock, he happily consulted with me and I found a suitable alternative - the Kamoshibito Kuhelji Kudan Yamada Junmai-Ginjo a dry sake with good acidity which I thought would be a good match with not only the delicate flavours exuded in the raw fish but also the deep fried dishes that I anticipated enjoying.

The first round of food ordered from the sushi bar included the Maguro Tataki (6 pieces at $18) and the Sushi Moriawase (12 pieces at $33) both I found outstanding. The Maguro Tataki is seared tuna, chives and chilli with a ponzu jelly and anchovy dressing. It matched extremely well with the sake and borders on being one of my favourite fish dishes that I have found (it would be high up on my list of tasty delights that I had at both Taxi Dining Room and Nobu recently) which was all very exciting.

Being pleasantly surprised by the sushi offerings, we continued to explore this part of the menu whilst enjoying the sake. Shiromi Uzsukuri (9 pieces at $15) and the Shake Aburi Sushi (4 pieces at $18) were then ordered to round out this sushi experience. The Skake Aburi Sushi, sweet soy marinated seared salmon with a very special onion salsa was the sandout. I could have ordered another six rounds of this however I didn't want to deprive myself from experiencing things off of the deep and simmer fried menus.

The Ebi and Pumpkin Harumaki ($13) was a very intriguing spring roll filled with prawn, blue cheese and pumpkin deep fried. I really enjoyed the texture and the pair of this dish with the sake. The blue cheese and pumpkin matched well but the tastes overwhelmed the prawn, however the dish in general was great. I tend to enjoy most dishes that exploit the flavour inherent in blue cheese well.

The Butterfish Nitsuke with Kinpira Gobo ($16) - simmered butterfish in ginger, soy sauce with pan-fried burdock followed. Having been spoiled by the delicate tastes of the sushi earlier and being out of sake didn't allow me to cleanse my palate before enjoying this dish so the blue cheese experienced earlier which lingered in my mouth overwhelmed the butterfish however the smell was absolutely delightful. Vacating the 720ml bottle of sake was indeed a shame however I did really enjoy this dish despite having a dirty palate to start.

A Black Sesame Pannacotta with Green Tea Ice Cream ($14) finished off this two hour tasting extravaganza. That certainly cleansed my palate - in a good way.

The service remained tight, efficient and friendly throughout this dining experience. Generally speaking the other patrons looked happy. Although when I arrived, most of the tables were occupied, I did not find the restaurant loud. The tables are spaced an acceptable distance apart so you would never feel as though you are minding someone else's business.

Overall I was impressed by Akachochin and I look forward to returning. The fish is fresh, the service was efficient and you felt like you could relax. After the stolid service and frozen fish that I enjoyed at Koko, I am very happy to have found a quality Japanese offering in South Wharf.

Akachochin

Link to review

33 South Wharf Promenade

Federation Square, Melbourne VIC 3000

(03) 9245 9900

http://www.akachochin.com.au

My Rating: 14.5/20

Service: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 3.5/5

Quality: 4.0/5

Value For Money: 3.5/5

Twitter: @epicurean3006

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

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 90% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon liked Akachochin.

Esquire Brisbane - Buffalo Club on Steroids

It has been a wild and wanton few weeks since I made a post on this blog and there is certainly plenty to write about. I can assure the readers that I have been out punishing my liver and ingesting far too many kilojoules all so that more content can now be added in a fury in the lead up to the happy Christmas holidays.

This is the first of a series of a two part blogging special on two of my favourite restaurants in Brisbane that I had the pleasure of frequenting when I was in the Sunshine State the other week when I was up watching the Cricket. This will be first proper review of a restaurant outside of Melbourne on this blog. I do realise that people do attend Brisbane and there are some readers in Queensland, so please forgive the change-up.

Esquire which is located at Eagle Street Pier, the majority of which flooded during the Queensland Floods of 2010, is the bastard offspring of the now defunct Buffalo Club. Years ago when Buffalo Club was operating in Fortitude Valley, chef Ryan Squires was named Young Chef of the Year whilst at that place. Not long after receiving the award, he parted company with the Buffalo Club. Just over a year ago, he opened the aptly named Esquire and it wasn't long after Esquire started trading, Buffalo Club shut its doors.

Buffalo Club was my favourite restaurant when I lived in Brisbane and I am happy to see that its legacy lives on with Ryan Squires emulating what he started so many years back but taking it to the next level in a restaurant with water views, smooth colours and quirky touches.

Upon entering the restaurant, my cultured friend and I were shown to the bar. From here we were able to observe the open kitchen and take advantage of the personal beverage service in a very hospitable setting by Brisbane standards.

After being led into the dining room, we selected the seven course degustation menu with matching wines ($190) and promptly were served Ryan's version of amuse bouche which were house made Kettle chips of sorts. They were much better compared to anything you would find in a bag sold at Coles.

Blue Swimmer Crab with Macadamia and Coffee matched with 2002 Eden Valley Riesling followed. Avid readers of this blog will know that Blue Swimmer Crab is one of my favourite things to eat. This dish certainly does not disappoint. The flavours, all when blended certainly enhanced the experience with the crab and even now writing about it, I am salivating.

A Tomme de Chevre with Apple and Almond matched with a 2011 Terlan Pinot Gris was followed by Murray Cod wisely matched with a 2010 Paco Lola Albarino from Spain. The fish literally melted in my mouth and the flavours, which were enhanced by the wine, made this perhaps my favourite dish.

The Lamb Belly with Eggplant and Cavalo Nero matched with a 2010 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon was the first red wine matched dish. Sometimes restaurants get carried away with how Lamb Belly is served but not in this case. What I thought would be a tedious match, being the eggplant, turned out to be delightful, all the more enhanced by the selection of wine.

The Coal Roasted Highly Marbled Beef served with Parsley and Horseradish was good however I felt that different cutlery was needed to slice the beef since you were left to your own devices to cut it. The standard knife on offer forced you to slice it thicker than you probably should have. A small complaint but nothing that really distracted me from the tasty dish which was matched with a 2010 Maronga Mataro from the Barossa Valley.

Perhaps the most intriguing and playful dish was the dessert. Campari - Orange, Curds and Whey matched with Moscato. It certainly cleansed my palate but was also a beautiful and elegant way to end this adventure in wild Brisbane.

We were amazed that such quality and artistic elegance was able to be compressed into such an inexpensive tasting menu.

Although the restaurant is beautifully designed, I noticed as more tables were seated that the place inevitably got much louder than really anticipated. It did not distract from the enjoyment of the meal though.

One of my biggest annoyances with restaurants in Brisbane is that the service is far too relaxed. Even when I visited Aria in Brisbane, the server actually was boasting about how nice it is to be able to work at a more casual pace compared to the Sydney location. Although service remained professional, I did notice the casual approach alive and kicking at Esquire. Fortunately because this was a degustation and we were enjoying our casual relaxing afternoon, I had no problem with this theme on the day but others may be put off by it if they are epicureans in Brisbane (yes, a few do exist) or are visiting from Melbourne or Sydney.

Esquire

Link to review

145 Eagle St  Brisbane QLD 4000
(07) 3220 2123

http://www.esquire.net.au

My Rating: 15.50/20

Service: 3.25/5

Ambiance: 3.50/5

Quality: 4.25/5

Value For Money: 4.50/5

Comment: Degustation - great value for $

Twitter: @epicurean3006

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

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 77% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon liked Esquire.

Taxi Dining Room - Be Here Now

Before my visit on All Hallows' Eve, I had not dined in at Taxi Dining Room, located on the first floor of the Transport Hotel in Federation Square since 2007. At that time, it not only came highly recommended to me and the person who was whispering in my ear at that time that was saying that restaurant was the new "it" place may have exaggerated a bit. Considering that I was doing whirlwind weekend tours of Melbourne bars and restaurants back then, I was looking for something really special and it never really left a positive or a negative impression really. Of course that was 2007 and what a difference five years makes.

Back in the bygone era of the noughties Taxi Dining Room couldn't stop winning  awards. It even managed to procure two of the coveted hats that restaurants seem to lose sleep over these days and drive mild-mannered chefs to alcoholism, depression and despair. Like with federal politics and Prime Ministers seemingly, restaurant hats come and go on a whim. Sometimes on merit, sometimes for other nefarious reasons. Whatever is the case, should the dining public re-establish a love affair with Taxi Dining Room now, they will not regret it.

The dining area remains bright, meticulously organised and as welcoming as the staff were when I presented myself with the epicurean emo. Views can be enjoyed depending on the perspective where you sit out to the Botanic Gardens, Southbank and the beautiful (sic) Yarra River or the skyline of the CBD. It was the start of a relaxed afternoon and when I learned that a seven-course degustation was on offer, I became as the proverbial dog with a bone. Proper seven-course degustation menus are seemingly rare as hens teeth for lunch so I knew I was in for an experience.

I began to ruminate about the table configuration and how appropriate it was. Not only did it make the most of the floorspace which benefits the restaurant but the tables were not so close together that you would feel like you were in other patron's personal space or be able to eavesdrop on their conversation. After my experience at The Press Club, I have become hypersensitive to being packed in like sardines in a crushed tin box as Radiohead would moan.

Quickly I learned that our server, Laura, and sommelier, Owen, exuded professionalism and were quite willing to go on our relaxed, yet wild, ride through the menu and around the world with the wines offering cold hard facts about the grapes, the reasons for the pairings and also trivia that kept us intrigued.

The meal started with Whiting sashimi with Kombu dressing. After recent trips to Nobu and Koko and thinking of the best seafood dishes that I had, this dish, not only the presentation but the dressing made it taste spectacular and be equal with the best of the best that the aforementioned specialists have on offer. The pairing of 1999 Duval-Leroy 'Authentis' from France certainly enhanced an already divine start to proceedings.

Panko crumbed pork cheek with Ngoc Cham and Prawn dust followed. The pairing of Dr Burklin Wolf 'Wachenheimer' Riesling, 2010 from Germany I thought was bold but also a great compliment. This is a very complex dish with many flavours competing for superiority on your palate however they were not intense flavours which allowed the wine to really do its job and highlight the goodness. 

Probably the most intriguing, if not special, of the dishes followed. Szechuan broth with Asian herbs and Szechuan duck. The broth was unlike anything that I have ever had before. The Szechuan duck would have been enjoying a happy afterlife bathing in this sea of flavour. Like with the Whiting earlier, Owen made a great choice with the Barbeito 'Old Reserve' Verdelho Medium Dry 10yo. -  Madeira - bold and classy and indeed a winner. This is my favourite dish and pairing of the experience which has continued to haunt me long past Halloween became a day in the past this year.

Cone Bay Barramundi with tempura mussels and garlic choi sum followed with a Denton 'View Hill' Pinot Noir, 2008 from our own Yarra Valley. Normally I remain sceptical of pairing Barramundi with Pinot Noir however this worked well and proves that if you lose yourself at times and trust the experts that you will not only gain a better appreciation for various matched flavours but also learn something at the same time.

Rabbit saddle with Lup chong and ginger followed with a 2010 Cape Mentelle Zinfandel from the Margaret River. It had been a while since I had a nice Zinfandel and I see why Owen decided to match it with the rabbit. The rabbit was prepared properly and really renewed my passion for wanting to eat the pest. Another wine, Gros Nore Bandol, 2008 (Mouvedre) was also on offer to taste with this dish and when poured directly from the Magnum, I felt like I was in a hedonistic paradise.

After a Passion fruit sorbet cleanser with coconut espuma, an Ecuador dark chocolate ganache was served for the one dessert course with a Mas Amiel Maury Rouge, 2009 (Grenache Noir) from Côtes de Roussillon, France. Very rich and powerful, which was how I wanted to end this meal with petit fours included.

Chef Tony Twitchett certainly has Taxi Dining Room on track to not only returning to the glory days but in my opinion exceeding what was achieved in the past. Most of the time, child actors are given praise as teenagers only to become ugly ducklings and never achieve much as adults. There are the rare exceptions though and I will steadfastly think of Taxi Dining Room as the Leonardo DiCaprio of the Melbourne dining scene. It was good before. It is much better now, and much like Leo will get an Oscar in the future for something, I am confident that Taxi Dining Room will end up with a few hats in the very short term if they keep up the awesome work. I look forward to returning soon.

Taxi Dining Room

Link to review

Level 1, Transport Hotel

Federation Square, Melbourne VIC 3000

(03) 9654 8808

http://www.taxidiningroom.com.au

My Rating: 16.5/20

Service: 4.5/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Quality: 4.5/5

Value For Money: 3.5/5

Comment: Degustation+wines is awesome

Twitter: @epicurean3006

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

web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 79% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon liked Taxi Dining Room.

The Press Club - Flame Trees in the Night

I never subscribed to the MasterChef hype and in fact have only watched a couple of episodes. The whole notion of "Celebrity Chefs" I believe are a good thing because they not only provide some healthy entertainment (as opposed to American Reality TV, Criminal Minds and Big Brother) and most importantly give people the motivation to prepare new and innovative dishes, and sometimes even healthy meals for their families. Despite some off-putting personalities I believe the Australian "Celebrity Chefs" are good role models in general and I want their restaurants to succeed, books to be sold and television shows to be broadcast as they not only educate us common plebeians but give the consumer a greater and more educated, if not critical, choice when frequenting restaurants.

I arrived with my clever companion at George Calombaris' flagship, The Press Club, to be greeted at the door and summarily shown to our table. My first impression was that I was entering the Forum with Cold Chisel performing. Tables and chairs were placed a bit too close together for my liking and I would quickly learn you can not engage in a private conversation without the guests at the table next to you actively eavesdropping and on occasion actually interrupting you and providing their outlook on life and times. It is something that I would expect to happen at a concert and I believe the proximity of the tables makes it easy for people to befoul social graces. The Press Club also subscribes to the "chefs table" notion so there are a few seats at the border of the loud kitchen. People were having fun, but it just isn't my thing. So besides the Cold Chisel concert of sorts emanating from the kitchen with groupies in the moshpit, I was getting to know my fellow concert-goers by chance and not by choice in the mezzanine.

Like with my other culinary journeys, I was interested in a tour de force, as was my clever companion which did not involve decisions. We opted for the eight course (with one extra 'add on') aptly called the "Symposium" degustation with the wine matching. Every course was "good" but nothing was truly memorable. When I think of other restaurants that I have been to lately, like Pei Modern, I think of the amazing Almond Gazpacho with Blue Swimmer Crab. When I think of Rosetta, my mouth waters when I ponder the wonderful Lobster roasted tomato, mint and chilli Fettuccine and at at Virginia Plain I yearn to return and have Andy Harmer's Ocean Trout cured in Raspberry Vinegar. The problem is despite being "good" nothing was a remarkable stand-out or anything that caused me to obsess over let alone froth at the bit to go back and have again.

The matched wines were issued like rations in a draught and I never was excited to try them. They were interesting but the service that introduced them never got us that excited. Like when Raúl Moreno Yagüe encouraged me to go outside of my comfort zone and try Slovakian and Lebanese wines at Vue de Monde, the education that I received ignited a passion. Probably because service was so blasé about the wines, they were just consumed with no pomp and circumstance or even respect to the grapes that died in battle, which is a shame really.

Service was professional although not overtly engaging throughout the night. They were quite apologetic when it was announced that a chicken dish was being served, the wine was matched and poured appropriately and then a fish dish was placed in front of us. That created some confusion but was probably, if not sadly, the most exciting thing that happened with the menu all night.

I suppose if the bill didn't come to $300 p/p (with a modest tip) I wouldn't be so disappointed. After enjoying some amazing meals that certainly excited and inspired me lately, I have been left instead feeling a bit sad and disappointed with my time at The Press Club. Fortunately I was able to catch up with my clever companion and given this experience was like attending a Cold Chisel concert, these lyrics seem appropriate:

But Oh! Who needs that sentimental bullshit, anyway?
You know it takes more than just a memory to make me cry
And I'm happy just to sit here, at a table with old friends
And see which one of us can tell the biggest lies.

The Press Club
Link to review
72 Flinders Street  Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9677 9677
http://www.thepressclub.com.au
My Rating: 13/20
Service: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 3.25/5
Quality: 3.5/5
Value For Money: 2.75/5
Comment: Can confirm bookings via text



Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 68% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon liked The Press Club.

New Page for Scores and Weighted Rankings

You may have noticed that there is a new addition to the menu bar called "Scores and Weighted Rankings for All Restaurants" which also can be found here. There has been a fair amount of feedback requesting that I create a page that summarises the ratings for all of the restaurants which sorts them by my weighted criteria. This page will also provide easier access to find the associated blog posts and will update rather seamlessly after I make a new post. I think this will make it a single point of reference and effectively be able to better organise the wealth of information that has been added to this blog over the last four months.

I will add the bar ratings and weighted rankings to the page in the next few days and retire the "Archive" pages which frankly are quite a pain to update and are also quite ugly.

Koko - You're Frozen (when your heart's not open)

After a very calorie intensive week spent at Virginia Plain, Pei Modern and Rosetta, I thought I would hunt down some "healthy" sushi and sashimi and try a place that has been on my list for quite a while, the amusingly named Koko located on the 3rd level of Crown Casino in Southbank.

A warm welcome was had upon entering Koko. Looking around you will find teppanyaki tables, other tables reserved for a la carte dining along the glass wall that overlooks the Southbank Promenade and the beautiful (sic) Yarra River and a small sushi bar that can seat six people. We choose the sushi bar and were immediately seated and offered water and the wine list.

The amount of fish on offer was not huge but unlike other sushi bars, like at Sake, Koko doesn't give the false impression of having a tremendous variety of fish by stacking it up in repeating intervals down the refrigerated display cocoon. I informed the chef that were we not wanting to make many decisions so we left the choices with him. The usual sashimi suspects were served which included tuna, salmon, kingfish and octopus which were all as you would expect. The highlight for the first round of food was the spicy scallop roll. It was full of flavour but highlighted by the horseradish component of the wasabi as they did not use true "real" wasabi, but the bastardised version that is primarily horseradish. A twitter follower also highlighted this to me - it is queer that they offer such a premium product but then have fake wasabi to accompany it.

To finish off my meal, I ordered sea urchin (Uni) and it was beautiful. I got talking with the chef and told him that I am usually sullen whilst enjoying sushi as Toro (the fatty underbelly of tuna) is rarely available. He said that they had some available and not having enjoyed any for over a year, it left me on a high of anticipation. I finished my meal with Toro after happily devouring my Uni with the sake however I was bemused because the Toro had been previously frozen. The chef verified this. Although it was beautiful, it was nothing like what I previously had at Azuma in Sydney which was freshly procured and served the day that it had arrived.

The restaurant is beautiful and the service was very regimented and professional. There is always someone lurking in the area waiting for a glance from you so that an order can be taken or in our case, dishes replaced, chopsticks returned to their default resting position and our sake glasses refreshed with what seemed like a never-ending bottle on the day that I visited.

What I found interesting is that in the middle of the restaurant is a pond. I asked the very affable sushi chef if anyone ever has fallen in it. He did say a few drunks had in the past and it makes for good entertainment later in the evening. That certainly would beat the cabaret experience at Dracula's and it would be something that I would return to see.

Strangely when I commenced writing this, I started thinking of the old Madonna song "Frozen" when I first thought about Koko. It is probably not the best association as I am not a Madonna fan and it isn't good to reference perhaps my favourite cut of fish being served defrosted or even the fact that such delicate flavours are complimented with fake wasabi. I thought about this occasionally over the last three days and it made me angry actually because I really wanted to have a "local" sushi bar to stop around at and I really wanted Koko to be the place. Sadly it will not be.

Koko
Link to review
Level 3, Crown Casino Southbank VIC 3006
(03) 9292 6886
http://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/koko
My Rating: 13.5/20
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Quality: 3/5
Value For Money: 2.5/5
Comment: Great Uni, view and ambiance



Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 84% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also liked Koko. In general I did also but as I wrote, there are still aspects of my experience that still make me angry.

Pei Modern- The Louvre of Collins Street

With all of the positive press and of course the recent raft of accolades and awards bestowed upon Pei Modern in The Age Good Food Guide 2013, visiting them at the Sofitel Hotel on the Paris-end of Collins Street has been a priority. Sure, it only took me a couple of months, however the wait was worth it.

As usual, I arrived with the intention to eat, drink and be merry with one other person and no booking. Both front of house and the barman greeted us and exclaimed that it would be no problem whatsoever to seat us in the dining room. That was music to my ears as I was very hungry and thirsty.

The dining room can best be described as cozy. Not all of the tables were occupied during my visit but considering the configuration of the tables, I suspect cozy would be an understatement if the restaurant was at capacity. The white plastic chairs where comfortable enough and throughout the long dining experience that I undertook, I never started squirming or feeling uncomfortable.

There is an outside area that borders the Sofitel hotel driveway. I was hoping to spot some quality automobiles but there was no such luck. I did spot the self-important people pacing up and down in the area shouting into their mobile phones however along with a few people outside with coffee and smoking. It appeared to be a relaxed area despite the occasional car and taxi traversing the driveway from the hotel.

The restaurant is broken up into three areas. The dining room which would hold about 50 people, the outdoor area and the bar area which has its own limited menu which includes jamon iberico. Throughout my lunch, I would walk past the bar area and the tables would always be filled with people chattering, drinking and eating. It would make for a good casual and impromptu place to conduct an ad-hoc meeting, or even drink and have some bar food. I will be calling into the bar before I see another film at the Palace Cinemas next week, which are located next to the restaurant.

Beautiful house-made sourdough bread with freshly churned butter, water, menus and the wine list were presented to us by Lisa, who was quite friendly and as we would learn, very professional after we were shown our table. My first impression was that the menu was concise so my expectations effectively were raised knowing that they must specialise in a limited number of dishes. All of them should be amazing. I ordered a Lord Nelson Three Sheets whilst I reviewed the wine list.

Service was very keen to take our orders and I had to explain that we were in no rush and were very keen to relax and try many things and not act like conventional diners. The service then adjusted and we were left to our own devices where we were attended to when the appropriate visual cues were made. I appreciated that.

For wine, I stayed local and ordered the 2011 Bindi Composition Chardonnay and I was impressed with how it paired with my first of three starters (no, I do not share being an only child) which was the wonderful Almond Gazpacho with Blue Swimmer Crab which I found amazing. I am highly critical of dishes with Blue Swimmer Crab as I think it is overused in restaurants however a favourite of mine that usually is destroyed when preparing it with vacuous elements. Pei Modern has a winner with this dish and I was so pleased in the end that I commenced proceedings with this dish.

There are so many starters that I wanted to try, it made it difficult to choose so I just kept going. My guest ordered the Steak Tartare and I opted for the Burrata, Blood Orange and White Anchovy. I really didn't know what to expect as logically I did not know how the white anchovy would be presented in a dish like this but once again I was not only surprised but impressed. The anchovy was pressed and made to appear like a flat-bread which was perfect and so nicely paired with not only the 2011 Bindi but also the blood orange and Burrata.

I was advised that the Steak Tartare was divine and better compared to what you get at Movida. Since I do not share, I ordered this dish next. Once again, another winner. I would rate this on par with Movida and also it would be chasing the tail of what you get at Rockpool Bar & Grill.

Sadly as I knew that my stomach was rapidly filling and the wine was leaving me in probably too good of a mood, we decided to order mains mainly so we had an excuse to return and try more entrees and the exciting bar menu. I ordered the 9+ Wagyu, Nettle Puree & Tuscan Red Onions for my main. What a fine cut of meat. It was prepared without a fault and matched very well with the Nettle Puree. There were copious amounts of red onions, some of which were abandoned when I was finished with the steak, which was a generous amount of meat in its own right. This dish certainly was contending for my favourite dish of the evening however that honour would have to be bestowed on the Almond Gazpacho with Blue Swimmer Crab as it is something unique and a dish you will not find anywhere else.

I suppose that expectations were high for this restaurant, not only from me but the usual people in the press since Pei Modern is the love-child of Mark Best of Marque fame in Sydney. After dining at Marque a few times, I certainly see his influence at Pei Modern. More importantly I was able to sit at a table at this restaurant for four hours, feel comfortable and never realise the time and instead I was absorbed into having pleasant conversation, eating, drinking and being taken care of by the staff. I am certainly looking forward to returning soon.

Pei Modern
Link to review
45 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9654 8545
http://www.peimodern.com.au
My Rating: 15.5/20
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Quality: 4.5/5
Value For Money: 3.5/5
Comment: Best new restaurant in Melbourne


Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 76% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also liked Pei Modern. I am not surprised why the figure is so low.

Rosetta - Neil Perry's New Stone at The Crown

Spending five hours at the newly opened Rosetta at Crown after a very relaxing four hour long relaxing lunch at Pei Modern was not so much a challenge but a test of my intestinal fortitude. In the end my senses won on all fronts.

Neil Perry has spent a fair amount of capital to design and retrofit Rosetta. It is now one of my favourite places in Melbourne when I think about ambiance. It is a very smart fit-out where the red lounge backs encourage you to order more, the subtly patterned carpet makes you want to eat more and the enthusiastic and very professional staff make you want to drink more. Given that I visited Rosetta on its opening night, I felt that the place had been open and succeeding for years. That is the Perry formula once again delivering for all of us in Melbourne. Seeing him in the restaurant and doing what he does best makes me want to have him as a permanent fixture in Victoria.

Proceedings commenced with cocktails followed by Riccoila de Pacifico (Hiramasa kingfish, capers, tomato and chilli) ($26) and the Insalata di Mare (Seafood salad) ($35) which was a cold yet vibrant way to start tasting the gamut of dishes matched with the 2011 Jankarra Verminino from the south of Italy. I must admit, that I have never fully appreciated food from this region however starting this way left me longing for more. After consulting with the sommelier who is ex-Waiting room (The Waiting Room has since matriculated peacefully from the Neil Perry empire to Crown)  I knew this was going to be a long-haul experience for appreciating everything that Neil and Italy had on offer. I was not disappointed.

The Ricotta Fresca ($16) followed and I have to say it was the best bloody Ricotta that I have ever had. It continued to successfully pair with the 2011 Jankarra Werminino whilst the service remained extremely professional and cheerful. Throughout the night we would be serviced by three people, 90% by the primary server, Mario, who was one of the most professional servers that I have encountered in my life. I appreciated the fact that he introduced himself when he greeted us, shook our hands and appreciated us as gentlemen and remained patient if not amused whilst we slurped wine and ordered across the menu like a drunken sailor shooting arrows at a dugong. The art of service introducing themselves I thought was long-gone but Neil Perry has resurrected this concept and for that I am pleased if not grateful.

Lobster roasted tomato, mint and chilli Fettuccine ($65) was ordered next and matched with a 2010 Terre Metre Nerello Mascalese... a Rose of all things. Such a brilliant pairing that it made me giddy. Poor jokes were then told. I offended the people around me and they left as I was so boisterous and happy. I don't think my neighbours were big tippers because our server Mario did not seem phased and more interested in taking care of our hedonistic needs. I apologise to them now for making too much noise and being too happy.

We reverted back to Antipasti and had a very tasty Brasato di Tonno (Braised tuna with green peppers and farro) ($29) and I found the way the kitchen used the peppers with the fresh tuna a cheeky and absolutely perfect compliment. This is not spicy or Mexican food per se, but it is a chilli extenuating tuna. It is hard to describe but it is something worth trying. You will not regret it.

Meatballs then had to be ordered en lieu of dessert. The Polpette al forne (Meat Balls oven baked in a tomato sauce) ($19) was finally ordered. This is when I used blasphemy and regretted ever visiting Meatball & Wine Bar.  No offence to Meatball & Wine Bar but Rosetta's meat balls are simply the most aromatic as I have ever had the pleasure of smelling and as firm as a woman's breast after getting an implant. I could have started and finished with these and have been one happy man regardless of the wine matching, service or ambiance.

My stomach was so engorged at the end of this epicurean journey that I could not bare ordering more and believe me there were heaps of offerings available that I wanted and I still long for whilst writing this. I really can't wait to return and I will leave a trail of saliva from my unit to the Crown and I can only hope that the council will clean up after me since Rosetta is going to make me act irresponsibly and also be my new local since The Waiting Room is now a thing of memories.

I predict that Rosetta will not only get at least two hats in the next Age Good Food Guide 2013/2014 but I will be so bold to predict that Rosetta will win "Best New Restaurant" - Neil has another winner and I am so happy he has another restaurant in Melbourne now for all of us to enjoy.

Rosetta
Link to review
8 Whiteman Street Southbank VIC 3006
(03) 8648 1999
http://www.rosettaristorante.com
My Rating: 16.5/20
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Quality: 4/5
Value For Money: 3.5/5
Comment: Best Italian food in Melbourne


Twitter: @epicurean3006
e-mail: epicureanofsouthbank (at) gmail (dot) com
web: www.epicureanofsouthbank.com

When I made this post originally, 100% of the reviewers on Urbanspoon also liked Rosetta. I am not surprised why. A small sample though...