in Melbourne

Like athletes, spectatorsneed to refuel. SM Kingtakes you on a high speedtour around the track todiscover some ofMelbourne’s culinary elite.

Out + About

SHOYA:TOSHIHIRO TAKAOKA

With the greatest

number of rest-

aurants per capita in

Australia, Melbourne

is oft regarded as

the food capital of

this country, and for good reason. From the

produce stalls of the must-visit Queen Victoria

Market in the city to the numerous eateries catering

to all tastes and budgets, one word defines

Melbourne’s attitude toward nourishment: serious.

While some establishments are exemplary in their

focus on their point of cultural origin, others veer

into uncharted domains, creating a culinary

tradition that is being re-written every day. The city

embraces its multi-faceted heritage and access to

fine produce, often on a single plate. Usually

referred to as Mod Oz, modern Australian cuisine

bristles with creativity. The lack of rules and

plethora of influences often translate to unique and

unexpected delights.

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Pearl : 631-633 Church Street,Richmond Ph:9421 4599One of the quintessential experiences of modern

Australian cuisine in Melbourne, Pearl fuses our

wealth of ethnicities with tested techniques and

ingredients that are truly local.

Duck neck sausage with a quail and shiitake

dumpling in white pepper broth and one-side only

seared yellowfin tuna with sweet smoked fish salad

set off by galangal and kaffir lime only hint at the

depth and flavors of new head chef David Fryer’s

palette. The dessert menu will also entice with

dishes like Turkish delight and rose petal ice cream

with glace ginger, pomegranate seeds and Persian

fairy floss. Also available are vegan and celiac

menus, which are more than an afterthought, and

offer the same delicate approach by way of items

such as Stirfry eggplant with lychee, shiitake and

baby iceberg lettuce cups.

Bistro Thierry : 511 MalvernRoad, Toorak, Ph:9824 0888 Its almost as if Bistro Thierry has redrawn the maps,

staking out its own territory as a region of France in

the southern hemisphere. The interior design,

atmosphere, and food all transport one to a far

away yet familiar place much further north. A

devoted local and French expatriate clientele are

rewarded with chef Paul Dunlop’s loyal rendering of

classic dishes such as soupe á l’oignon, escargot

with garlic and parsley butter, a well crafted terrine,

poisson du Harché, and minute steak with pomme

frite. Over 100 wines complement the sturdy

menu, with 13 available by the glass. Of note is the

$25.00 prix fixe lunch menu, which offers

exceptional value considering the fine cuisine on

offer.

La Luna : 320 RathdowneStreet, North Carlton, Ph: 9349 4888Straying north of Lygon Street’s neon lit tourist strip

one can find the heart and soul of Italian cuisine in

Melbourne. Specialties include home made

gnocchi and pasta, but chefs Adrian Richardson

and Michael Slade’s dedication to local regional

produce begs attention. Western Plains Pork,

Flinders Island lamb, and Leongatha rabbits are

complemented by select beef aged onsite, char

grilled and served with mash, roasted swiss brown

mushrooms and a red wine jus. Also made on the

premises are three types of sausages, grilled and

served on mash with lyoniasse onion. You are also

permitted to bring your own bottle of wine ($8.50

corkage), although the small wine list is perfectly

matched to the dishes on offer.

Taxi : Level One, TransportHotel, Federation Square, Ph: 9654 8808An open, minimal space dominated by glass and

metal leaves little room for the diner to be distracted

from the modern Australian cuisine offered by

chefs Michael Lambie and Ikuei Arakane; except

perhaps views of the river and the city lights, or the

open kitchen.

It’s highly likely that it’s the food you’ll be

focusing on however, as Taxi crafts distinctly

Japanese ingredients into memorable dishes with

Mediterranean flair. Menu items such as salad of

tonkatsu marinated pork with crystal bay prawns,

calamari and a hot green chilli dressing or crispy

fried quail with confit pork belly, mushroom and

nashi pear salad accompanied by apple puree

leaves little room for the attention to be diverted

elsewhere, except perhaps toward one of the over

500 wines personally recommended to you by the

sommelier.

Red Emperor – Upper Level,Southgate, Southbank, Ph: 9699 4170Sprawling across two levels with magnificent views

of the city, the riverside location is done justice by

some of the finest Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine

in Melbourne. Prepare your palette with the double

boiled herbal soup of the day. Part medicine, part

food, it changes daily and is a specialty of the

house. While some dishes may appear familiar on

the menu, such as BBQ beef fillet with Sichuan

sauce and Kung Po chicken, they are taken to an

unexpected level by chef Hon Kau Hui, who

achieves a subtle and rewarding balance of flavors.

More unusual offerings include crocodile fillet with

ginger and spring onions and kangaroo with Red

Emperor BBQ sauce.

Ciccolina : 130 Acland Street,St. Kilda, Ph: 9525 3333With a strict ‘no bookings’ policy, Ciccolina

nonetheless manages to deliver a magic

experience that is well worth any wait endured

whilst enjoying an aperitif in the cosy back bar. A

favourite with locals for its menu that rarely changes

and standards that never drop, it is both bustling

and intimate, with wait staff as attentive and warm

as those who fire things up in the kitchen. The

Antipasto plate is among the finest in Melbourne,

best enjoyed with a cold Peroni while anticipating a

mighty main. Menu staples include tuna carpaccio,

somewhat incongruous Thai fish cakes, and whole

boneless baby chicken on leek. A revolving

specials menu may include a mushroom risotto, a

fish offering or pasta – all cooked to chef Virginia

Redmond’s fine exemplar.

Shoya – 25 Market Lane, City,Ph:9650 0848Across its six split-levels Shoya offers a range of

experiences and an education in authentic

Japanese cuisine. Those who think it’s all about

raw fish are in for an exquisite lesson in fine dining

from chef/owner Shigeo Nonaka. Notable dishes

include Nama Shii Hotate – minced scallops

wrapped around a quail egg, nestled in a shitake

mushroom and deep fried, and Scampi Kinokoyaki

– scampi topped with Japanese mushrooms and a

delicate miso paste. The Sashimi entrée: tuna,

salmon, kingfish and sea urchin roe topped with

gold leaf and served in a hollow ball of ice is visually

stunning and of exceptional quality. Also

remarkable is the beef, ‘500 days grain fed’ Wagyu

steak, cooked and seasoned to perfection. To

complement the perfect meal, try one of the 35

varieties of sake or shochu that are exclusively

imported for the restaurant.

MoMo – Basement, 115 Collins Street (enter from George Parade) City Ph: 9650 0660 Like a secret cavern from the Arabian Nights,

MoMo envelopes one with the cosy aroma of

subtle spice and a gentle waft of sandalwood

essential oil. Chef Greg Malouf matches Middle

Eastern flavours with a fine palette of ingredients.

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Regulars on the menu include Middle Eastern fried

duck with honey, orange blossom, thyme and a

vermicelli-nut rice, and Malouf’s pigeon Bistayeea –

Moroccan sweet spiced pie cooked with almonds,

eggs and served with a white cabbage salad. The

MoMo mezze is a stellar way to start a meal –

Fatima’s fingers, labneh with shredded cucumber,

marinated olives with turnips and chicken

dolmades. An impressive wine list boasts more

than 300 choices, 22 of which are available by the

glass.

Fishermen’s Pier: Bay end ofYarra Street, Geelong, Ph: 5222-4100A day or evening in the environs of this delightful

seaside town are best spent enjoying one of the

better seafood restaurants in the state. The

waterfront location demands reverence to all things

piscatorial, and the menu delights with seafood

favourites cooked with skill. Starters include lobster

bisque, oysters prepared four different ways, and

house cured salmon with potato roesti, rocket

salad, dill mayonnaise and preserved lemon. The

mains are equally tempting, whole rock lobsters,

bouillabaisse, and an aromatic African style fish

curry with rice pilaf, cucumber raitta and pappadam

among the offerings. For land lubbers there are

beef, lamb, and vegetarian dishes prepared with

the same consideration afforded the true stars of

the establishment.

Lake House : King Street,Daylesford, Ph: 5348 3329The perfect excuse to escape the city, a 90 minute

drive into the countryside will bring you to the

beautiful township of Daylesford and some of the

finest regional cuisine in Australia. Both a small

luxury hotel and restaurant, Lake House continually

wins much deserved awards and accolades from

around the world. Chef Alla Wolf Tasker matches

considerable talent with a devotion to seasonal

produce procured from suppliers local to the

region, such as lamb and trout from Tuki springs in

Smeaton, a 20 minute drive up the road.

The food is matched with a more than impressive

wine list, with the annual New York Wine Spectator

Awards more than once nominating Lake House

for the ‘Best of Award for Excellence’.

A hush-hush guide:Not so much a list of ‘alsoworth considering’, but ahush-hush guide to whereyou’ll find Melburnians inthe know – the followingrestaurants are thepinnacle of our city’s diningculture. These are placeswhere a divine experienceis guaranteed, and wordsmay very well cease tohave meaning.

Vue de monde

Normanby Chambers, 430 Little Collins Street,

Melbourne. (03) 9691 3888

The multi-award winning and super refined

modern French offerings of Shannon Bennet at

Vue de monde make for the ultimate big night

out.

Botanical

169 Domain Road, South Yarra. (03) 9820

7888

Paul Wilson’s dynamic menu matched with a

wine chosen from their on-site wine shop

makes for a great experience. A worthy

inclusion in Saveur magazine’s top 100 list for

2005.

Circa at The Prince

2 Acland Street, St. Kilda. (03) 9536 1122

With knock –out interior design and venerable

wine list, this Melbourne institution hits the mark

in every category, every time.

Café Di Stasio

31 Fitzroy Street, St. Kilda. (03) 9525 3999

The Age Good Food Guide chef of the year,

Michael Darmanin, offers simple yet elegant

Italian fare true to his heritage.

ezard

187 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, (03) 9639 6811

A leader in the charge toward defining Mod Oz

cuisine, Teage Ezard’s eponymous home never

disappoints.